Bright Black Chakra
by Chris Talonflight
Summary: Naruto is the new Hokage of the Leaf. Sasuke is the ruler of the Shadow. A young boy, former;y Sasuke's apprentice, has fled from his brutal master. Watch as he struggles to survive in a peacefull village that yet haunts him with memories.
1. Chapter 1

P.O.V. = Kanda

I walked out of my house with a spring in my step and a bounce in my walk. A determined look was set on my face. Today was the day that I would see whether I could pass the exams and become a Genin, or whether I would fail. My blindfolded eyes picked their way down the street.

I had been attending the Ninja Academy here in the Leaf Village for a year. I had not spent nearly as much time there as the other students because I was a late transfer student. I had been raised in Shadow Village until last year, when I ran away and came here. I ran for more then one reason, but the main one was always fresh in my mind. Here, they didn't judge you as much as they used to for having a demon sealed inside you.

Back in Shadow Village, I had been trained by the ruler himself, Sasuke. He was the one who had taught me my expertise at manipulating pure chakra. I even knew a few shadow Jutsus, and was a good fighter with a chain. As a way to learn to see chakra in all its forms, I had been forced to wear a blindfold at all times. It was a habit I still carried with me.

As I approached the entrance of the academy, I saw one of my teachers, Shikamaru. He had been one of the Hokage's personal friends. Hokage Naruto was a good ruler, and his wife Sakura was actually the one who had given me a place to stay. She had spoken with her friends Kiba and Hinata, and they had allowed me to stay with them.

I started jogging up the steps to the classroom. In my entire year here I had not made many friends; I was more of a loner. Even now, as I walked amid a swarm of students, they kept a wary distance from me. Even after a demon carrier had become their Hokage, and had stopped the prejudice against them, such as people refusing to serve Jinchuriki at restaurants, people still were wary of them. Heck, my demon hadn't even attacked this village, it had attacked Shadow Village!

I arrived in my classroom, on the fourth floor. Entering to take my usual seat, I found the classroom was almost half empty.

_Oh shoot, they already started the test!_ I thought nervously. I went and sat in a dark corner. I had always liked the dark. Maybe it was because of my affinity for shadow Jutsu.

"Namikaze Arianna!" The teacher called. I watched her covertly, hiding behind my blindfold. She was the daughter of Hokage Naruto and Haruno Sakura. She was a shy girl, with red hair. Her hair also had orange highlights in it, a tribute to her father. Her eyes sometimes had the sad look that I saw in the eyes of the Hokage, but her face and body took after her mother Sakura.

Wearing the blindfold had given me distinct advantages. While I could see people through their chakra even in pure darkness, I could see equally well without my blindfold. Therefore, when I wasn't wearing it people would mistake me for having bad vision, and would attack me wrong.

The blindfold… the memory…

**FLASHBACK**

"_To master the way of the ninja, you must master your senses, and learn to overcome them. Beginning with this, the one you rely on the most." Sasuke instructed. I stood there, blindfold on for the first time, listening._

_ A sword sliced by my head. I ducked, and felt the wind of it fly over my head. I lashed out instinctively. Whatever I had done, it had had an effect on my opponent, Hantan. He was wary now. He wielded a sword. I had a chain with a blade at the end._

_ Hantan slashed again. I dodged, hearing it this time, sensing where it would go. But I was just barely lucky: another second later and I would have died. It struck my sleeve, shearing off a bit of my sleeve. I lifted the blade right before my face._

_ Hantan sliced at my head. I leaned back quickly to avoid the strike. He tried a downwards slash, and I blocked it by holding a length of the chain taut before my head. He then sliced at my shoulder, and I dodged. I blocked another strike to my side, and slid back to avoid a strike to my chest. He tried for the downward slice again, and I blocked. He tried a side slice, and I blocked. Then suddenly a strike connected, and it threw me to the floor. _

_ The blade was warded by one of Sasuke's scrolls, but it still hurt. I got up slowly._

_ "You must see with more then your eyes." Sasuke spoke._

_ I then realized something: when I sensed Hantan about to strike, I saw a line of gray light in my mind. I instinctively blocked it. As I watched it as it moved, and Hantan slashed air in order to unnerve me from a far distance, I realized something: I was SEEING the sword's chakra that Sasuke had used to make the edged dull._

_ I was seeing other people's chakra for the first time._

_ With renewed confidence, I raised my chain._

_ I saw the gray move, and I dodged twice, blocked once. Ducked under another strike. Blocked two more. And another. And another. And one last one, before kicking Hantan away. He went down a few feet away. He got back up, angry, and charged me. I threw the end of the chain, wrapped it around His ankle with chakra, and pulled. He went flying and landed as Sasuke's feet._

_ Sasuke looked at me. I grinned. I could see his chakra as gray-purple inside of him. Looking around, Hantan had a blue chakra, and Seiris had an orange chakra. I looked at my hands. My chakra was black._

**END FLASHBACK**

Arianna returned to the classroom, beaming. I couldn't help but smirk.

"Inkaro Johan!" the teacher called. The muscular boy stood, a grim expression on his face. A group of fangirls tittered. He ignored them.

Johan and Arianna were engaged. Their marriage had been planned since infancy. Arianna was like a lovesick child. Johan couldn't have cared less. The girls of the class were divided into four camps: the Inkaro Johan camp, the Shiki Shinji camp, the indifferent (and therefore likely as not lesbian) camp, and the yours-truly Inyachi Kanda camp. Personally, I couldn't have cared less. There was only one girl that I had ever dated, and that hadn't ended well. Her name had been Nina. After her, I had avoided getting a broken heart with all my skill.

Johan returned to the classroom, smiling slightly. He sat back down, smirking.

_Johan. _I thought. _Why did we stop being friends?_

Johan and I had grown up together.

Then one day I found him sitting in a pool of blood, his father and mother on either side of him, dead. Johan never even flinched.

For some reason, ever since that day, Johan hated me.

I never knew why.

"Inyachi Kanda!"

I stood. Everyone in the class was used to my wearing a blindfold, but the fangirls still sighed as I walked across the room. They were always trying to get me to remove my blindfold. I never did in school anymore.

I entered the next room. There, sitting on the floor, was the Hokage, his wife, and two of my teachers: Shikamaru, and Choji.

"Kanda." Hokage Naruto spoke. "Due to your late arrival, we have a slightly different test for you." He motioned to Choji. Choji continued.

"Inyachi Kanda." He spoke in his stern deep voice, "You must create upwards of three clones of yourself. Then you must make them all move in sync."

"Does the clone type matter?" I asked.

"Clarify." Shikamaru asked,

"You know, water clone, sand clone, shadow clone, that sort of thing." I responded.

"No, you may do whatever type you like." The Hokage replied. Naruto had always had a soft spot for me. Probably because we both had demons sealed inside of us.

Now, for the first time in three days, I pulled off my blindfold. After seeing in chakra vision for such a long time, I had a large amount of chakra stored up. I raised my hands and did the proper hand sign.

Instantly, seven clones appeared. They glowed with black energy for a second, and then stabilized.

There was an audible gasp. That was the usual reaction when people saw that my chakra was black.

"Kanda… What type of clone is that?" Sakura asked.

"Shadow clone." I responded. With that, I gave a little smirk, and drew a shuriken. I nodded to my clones. We all ran into a large circle, and threw a shuriken up into the air. In sync, we all rolled to the right, and grabbed the shuriken that another had thrown as it came back down. We did this at least six times, until I stopped, and they allowed the shuriken to fall on their heads.

"Kanda…" Hokage Naruto spoke, impressed. "You have passed the final exam with dexterity. Good job."

I smiled at the Hokage and his wife, Sakura. Then I replaced my blindfold.

"Why do you wear that blindfold, Kanda?" Sakura asked. I paused.

"I usually wear it out of habit, because it is how I was trained back in Shadow Village," I spoke. "But it also helps me store up more chakra reserves." I bowed, and left the room, returning to the classroom, smirking. Right before I walked into the door, I removed my blindfold again.

_Might as well have some fun._ I thought. _After all, I passed the test._ I walked into the room, my eyes exposed for the first time in school.

Several fangirls fainted. A few more swooned. Several stayed on their feet and stared with lovesick expressions. I ignored them.

My eyes were a slightly glowing shade of purple.

"All right." The teacher said, staring thunderstruck at my purple eyes. _Oh god, please tell me she's not a fangirl too!_ I prayed. If my teacher, Nikinani Hikari, was a fangirl, I wouldn't have a second's peace. "Everyone may go now. Tomorrow, you will get your team assignments." She was _still_ staring at my eyes, Damnit! "Good day, Genin!"

I fled the room, chased by tittering fangirls.

"HEEEEEELP!" I yelled, sprinting at top speed across the lawn, aiming for the gates of the city. Chances were, the fangirls wouldn't chase me into the woods.

I had just reached the ramen stands, when a figure grabbed me from behind. I fell face first and barely got to sit up.

"It's me, doofus." Johan growled.

"Uh… Johan?" I asked. "I thought you were still occupied by hating me for no reason."

Johan gave me a hateful glare. "No, I still am. However, I think I'm going to let those fangirls catch you. It will get _my_ fangirls off my track." He grinned an evil grin, and pushed me down to the ground, before running off. Johan had always been faster then me.

A fangirl reached me. I barely managed to escape her clutches.

I sprinted for the woods. When I reached the first tree, I leaped up into the branches. A large group of fangirls clustered around the bottom, calling for me to come down. Then I saw one of them pull out a net.

_OH SHIT!_

Ducking backwards, I created a chakra clone below the tree. He ran away through the trees. A blonde fangirl cast the net, making the clone poof out of existence.

_Ah, shit._ I grimaced. _Stupid of me, showing my eyes._ I climbed higher in the tree.

Flipping through a multitude of hand signs, I started creating chakra clones.

Then I yelled.

An army of clones, each unimaginably weak and light due to the amount of them I had had to create, but every one serving their purpose to run for the village. I leaped down into the middle of them. I had reached halfway across the field at to the gate when I was stopped.

"Wind style!" I heard a feminine voice shout. "Blast of decaying wind!"

A strong wind, carrying thousands of shuriken, flew through my small army. Instantly my clones all evaporated. All except me.

"Shadow style!" I yelled. "Dark shadows of doom!" Instantly, the area was plunged into darkness. I saw by chakra, and fled for the gates.

"Light style!" A voice cried out. "Revealing illumination!"

The area lit up with a flash. I was chased again.

"Earth style!" another voice called out. "Cage of stone!"

_Shit._ I thought, as walls of stone sealed me and three of the fangirls in a box. _I am so fucked._

"Wind style!" Another called. "Chains of air!"

I didn't even struggle as they chained me.

A pair of blue haired twins started removing my shirt. A redhead started to remove my shoes.

"AHH!" A fangirl suddenly screamed screamed. Instantly, the chakra air chains holding me shattered. So did the stone box holding me. The three fangirls stared at in fear. I stood there, shirt off, trying without success to cover the seal on my chest. It pulsed red. A cloak of black chakra covered me…

**FLASHBACK**

_ "Kill her, and your training will be complete." My sensei, Sasuke, spoke. I looked at the girl. Her eyes pleaded with me._

_ HOW DARE THEY DEMAND ME TO KILL AN INNOCENT!_

_ A layer of black chakra covered me._

_ The end of the chain in my hand with the blade fell, dangling from my fist._

_ I slashed._

_ Sasuke's face opened up in a diagonal cut._

_ "KILL HIM!" He roared._

_ The ninja with him charged._

_ I took the first one off at the knees with a swipe of my chain before he got within twelve feet of me. The same with the next. The third lost his head. The fourth was decapitated. It went on and on. At the end, I killed fifteen ninjas before one finally slashed me. He nearly opened up my stomach. I collapsed. I forced myself up…_

_ …and found myself facing a swarm of shuriken._

_ Shoulders, sides, chest, stomach, arms, and legs, neck: all were stabbed. In the end, I leapt off of the building. Fortunately, I landed in a pool of water, placed there by the architects. When I hit the water, it turned red from my blood._

_ I barely was able to climb up from the pool. When I stood there, cornered, back to the water, I felt anger. Cold, unbending, deadly fury. How DARE they bring me to this! I was a human being just like them! How DARE THEY TURN ME INTO THIS!_

_ My eyes became slits, and white fur started with red stripes growing on me. In a few seconds, my arms and legs, back and chest, neck and hair had all become covered with the fur of a white tiger. My face remained human, but my eyes were green, and slits. From my fingers sprouted long, wicked claws._

_ "The demon tiger." Sasuke muttered._

_ I leaped over the group of ninja with the speed and strength of a demon. I disappeared into the night, headed for Konoha Leaf._

**END FLASHBACK**

The trio of fangirls fell back as I sprinted across the fields, one arm desperately trying to cover the seal on my chest. My eyes stung with tears of desperation. My eyes became slits, and white fur with red stripes started growing on me. In a few seconds, my arms and legs, back and chest, neck and hair had all become covered with the fur of a white tiger. My face remained human, but my eyes were green, and slits. From my fingers sprouted long, wicked claws.

_My secret's out! My fucking secret is fucking OUT!_

I leaped over and onto the rooftops. I sped above people who thought that I was a Shinobi. Ignoring the stares I got from the guards, I raced through the window of the Hokage's tower.

"Kanda?" Naruto asked. "You…" He spoke with genuine concern, looking at me, staring at my fur, my claws, my fangs, my glowing green eyes. I stared at him stupidly. I looked blearily around the room. Sakura was also there. She seemed shocked. But the worst blow was yet to come.

Arianna stood there, cowering behind a pillar. Her eyes peeked out at me, wide in fear.

Standing behind her, Johan game me a wicked smile.

With a scream of rage and anger, I fled.

I reached the forest in a few minutes. Flipping through trees, leaping off of branches, rebounding off of trunks, I was deep into the forest in minutes. When I finally got tired, I fell, gasping.

Summoning my chakra to my fist, I formed a ball out of it. I swung. The black ball of chakra slammed into a tree, destroying it utterly.

I did it again and again, and pretty soon there was a large clearing in what used to be forest.

Nightfall fell, and I still slumped in the clearing of my own making, my tiger form falling away slowly.

I returned to the house. I sat the edge of my own bed, unraveling the blindfold from my head. I lived in a simple two floor home with a man named Kiba, his wife Hinata, and his daughter Shino. I had never used the front door. Instead I had a ladder leaning against the lower building that connected to this one. Coincidently, one of my two bedroom windows led out to that very lower building. That window was my door.

Kiba allowed me to live there, and thought of me as a shady character. He was more than pleased to hear that I wouldn't have need for the front door. He was very protective of his family. His wife was a shy woman and listened to what her husband's commands without question. She did, however, argue with him when it came to my welfare. She was the first to see my eyes and was surprised to hear how young I really was. She had taken the liberty of making me meals behind her husbands back. I didn't mind at all. A nice hot meal with a pitcher of water was gladly accepted to replace my usual purchased low-grade ramen, the best I could afford with my meager earnings from a temporary job at a weapons forge. She had told me that she didn't know when I was home and was unsure when to make me a meal. I then placed a piece of paper under my door way so she would know I was home. I would know when a meal was waiting for me when the paper was missing.

I had become particularly friendly with their child. Her name was Shino. She was their 'Little flower.' She was small and listened to her parents well. She was proud when she was given a chore and worked hard to make her father and mother proud. But one day she was meant to hang the sheets to dry, a man came. He tried to hit her for no reason. In an instant, I grabbed the man, threw him down, and gave him a lash with my chain. That evening I got a larger meal and some wine. Hinata had been watching the entire time and told Kiba of my deed. He came to my bedroom door himself, and thanked me. Then asked if I would like to join them at the table. I had never felt so… appreciated or accepted since I left my home … but I politely declined his invitation. He never asked me again, and I stopped putting the paper under the door.

_I do not know why I keep doing this to myself. I ruin everything_.

I could hear shuffling of footsteps and the muffled voices of Kiba and Hinata downstairs. They were arguing about my staying there. I cursed under my breath. I had forgotten about the rent. I waited for the sound of footsteps creeping up the stairs, but it never came. Instead I heard the front door shut and a womanly sigh slowly following after. I must have started trouble for Hinata again.

Reaching under my pillow, I grabbed the remnants of a money pouch. I had carried it since I left Shadow Village. I occasionally helped Farina, the weapons maker here in Konoha, and I kept my earnings in this bag. Taking out a few coins, I counted out enough for the rent. I slid them under the door, where Hinata would find them.

_There goes my money… no food for me until the end of the week…_


	2. Chapter 2

I sat up. For some reason, I couldn't remember what I was doing here.

I checked my watch. _8:30…_

WHAT!

I stood, as fast as I could. I rose, and sprinted towards the village.

_I'm late I'm late I'm late!_

I rushed into the school, sprinted up several flights of stairs, and burst into the classroom just as the bell rang. _Phew, made it._

Then I heard the whispering.

The fangirls which had usually sighed and started giggling when I entered the room fell silent for a second, and then began whispering. I saw a trio of girls that seemed to be the center of the gossip. One was a redhead, and the other two were blue-haired twin sisters.

Arianna was sitting in the back, as far away from me as possible. When she looked at me, I saw fear there… but also… _curiosity._

Then Johan gave me his cruel smile, and I remembered.

I put a hand to my face. I had lived so long with my blindfold that I couldn't tell by sight whether I was wearing it or not; Chakra vision and normal sight had started to blend with each other. I wasn't wearing it.

My purple eyes scanned the class, before I went to my usual seat.

The teacher, Hikari, entered the room in an unusually slutty outfit. I looked away, ignoring the meaningful glances she kept throwing my way.

"All right, today you will receive your mentors and be divided into groups of three…" She began. I tuned her out, staring out the window.

"Johan, Kakari, Lys…" the teacher droned. "Orca, Kite, Laos…"

I watched the sun as it trickled light over the waking village. _It is my village. Or rather, was._ I thought sadly. After today, I would probably run away, now that my secret was exposed. Maybe the Sand Village would take me. I would go there, and tell Kazekage Gaara that I knew Hokage Naruto; they had always been friends. Maybe he would put me into training with a good teacher, and I could eventually become a Chunin before I did something stupid and had to leave there as well…

"Arianna…" The teacher called. "Shinji…"

I wasn't paying attention.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?" Hikari asked. I sat up.

"What?" I asked. "I'm sorry, I wasn't really listening."

Hikari sighed. "I _said,_ Arianna, Shinji, and Kanda! _Move it!"_ she said. I blinked. Hikari had always been more then polite to me. As I got up, Hikari gave me another look, biting her lower lip, and then licking her lips. I ignored it.

I got up and moved t the door. Arianna and Shinji were waiting with another man. An elite jonin, I guessed.

The man beckoned for us to follow. We walked down the hallway.

We emerged on the roof. The Man beckoned for us to sit on the roof. He then sat as well. He stared at us for a while.

"So you guys are my new Genin." He said. His voice rippled from his throat like water from a pitcher, flowing smoothly. He seemed like the type of guy who enforced the rules, acted like a stickler, but was really underneath a nice guy. _And his voice makes him seem like he belongs in a gambling den._

"Yeah." Arianna nodded. She still cast wary glances at me.

'I see." The man said. "Well, say your names, something about you, something you like, something you hate, your home, and something you fear."

Arianna went first, shyly. "Um… I'm Namikaze Arianna. I'm the son of the Hokage and Haruno Sakura, the saviors of the Leaf. I like ice cream, and I hate zits. I was born here in Konoha, and I fear…" she almost glanced at me. Almost. "… I fear spiders." She finished lamely.

Shinji, however, wasn't buying it. "Why don't you tell us about you, first?" he demanded.

The man shrugged. "Fair enough. My name is Inchinda Taechi. I am the cousin of Sakura, the Hokage's wife. My likes are sleeping and not telling people my other likes. My dislikes are people who ask too many questions. My fears are nonexistent."

Shinji smirked. "My name is Shiki Shinji. I have an affinity for Light. I like power. I hate weakness. I was born in the forest, and I fear failing in my life mission

"Kanda?" Taechi asked me.

I sighed. "My name is Inyachi Kanda. I have a demon seal on my chest, the seal of the Demon Tiger. I like swimming, and I hate people who judge others. I was born in the Shadow, and I fear the fangirls."

There was a gasp from Arianna, and Taechi got a faraway look on his face. Shinji smirked for a second, and sent me a semi-sympathetic look.

Taechi. "Now, do any of you know any jutsu?"

Shinji raised his hand. "I know a Light Jutsu."

"I know a few shadow jutsus." I muttered.

"Um…" Arianna stuttered. "I-I kn-know a wind style jutsu that dad taught me…"

"Show me." Taechi-Sensei commanded.

I flipped my hand signs. "Shadow style! Shade of the black moon!" Instantly a beam of blackness blasted from either side of me, flowing out towards the horizon. "It's a paralysis move." I explained to Taechi's raised eyebrow.

Shinji flipped his hand signs. "Light style!" He yelled. "Blades of the Angels Light!" Instantly, seven swords rotated from his hands, slicing while he punched. When he punched a third time, they shot off into the sky. "It's a melee move that Johan taught me."

_Johan… Why is it always Johan?_

"Um…" Arianna said, flipping hand signs. "W-wind style: Air bullet!" a wave of wind blasted through the area, compressed into a ball about two-by-two feet. It shattered a nearby lamppost. "Oops." She said guiltily.

Taechi smirked. Then he patted our heads. HE was a good foot taller then us, at least seven feet.

"You kids are probably tired." He said. "After your exam yesterday, and the excitement of today, you should take the rest of the day to chill out." He said. _He calls THIS excitement? I'm having enough trouble not falling asleep! _I thought irritably.

I nodded and immediately started to leave. I had to avoid the fangirls. Then again, maybe they would avoid me, now that my secret was out.

"Oh, Kanda." Taechi said a glint in his eye. "The Hokage himself wishes to see you."

_SHIT!_ I thought, immediately jumping to the next rooftop. _The Hokage probably wants to grill me about my past and stuff! DAMNIT!_

I was at a loss. A week ago I was thinking that I could measure up against the prying of the fangirls. But now… a single stupid moment had ruined me.

I entered my room in Kiba and Hinata's house silently, through my bedroom window. Likely they were wondering where I had been all night. I look down to my bed side and looked to the large jars of red poison. The density was ideal for coating my blades, and I had done so. They all lay on the floor now. The poison had turned a dry drown, telling me that the poison had dried.

I opened my closet, and grabbed a travel bag. My sword, my kunai, my shuriken, and my knife all went in. Then a black trench coat and a hooded sweat-shirt. A few T-Shirts. A pair of shorts and multiple pairs of long pants.

I grabbed my black blindfold, and bound it over my now purple eyes. Slinging the travel bag over my shoulder, I grabbed my final item: my chain, the one I had left Shadow Village with.

I froze suddenly, dropping the weapons and the travel bag. Someone was outside my room. I sensed a gray chakra. A sharp knock snapped me from my thoughts. I stood from my bed, quickly jumping over the weapons on the floor and made it to the door.

"Yes?" I called out, firmly placing my hand against the door. _My paranoia just hit an all time high…_

"Oh. I was not sure if you were in there. You've been so quiet." A womanly voice answered. I had to stop myself from groaning in annoyance.

"What is it Hinata?" I asked.

Slowly opening the door a small ways, I was sure that my body was in the way of the sight behind me. Hinata and Kiba were the only people I didn't hide my demon seal around. The woman smiled up to me with uncertainty. I felt my brow quirk. I had paid the amount I owed and more, so I could stay without being pestered for the next month. _What could she be bothering me with now?_

She avoided my eyes nervously. The way she has begun to act towards me has begun to remind me of a fangirl. _Dear god, I pray that isn't the case. Her husband would be the death of me. I have no desire to be chewed at by thousands of attack dogs._

"I…" She paused, seemingly forcing herself to find the nerve to continue. Then practically yelled in my face. "I came to bring you to the table."

I almost took a step back as I stared down at her in bemusement. She looked proud of herself, giving me the impression that it was a demand more then it was an invitation. _It seems the money I gave them made them want to accept me… or they may be having a greed moment of sorts_. I inwardly sighed in defeat. It was damn near impossible to argue against a woman that had given birth anyhow.

"Fine. Please just give me a moment to make myself decent." I nodded

She suddenly brightened and smiled, giving me an eager nod before turning her yell to tell her husband and child I was finally joining them for dinner. _I didn't know they wanted me to join them so much… _I could hear the child giving a short cheer and her husband chuckling. He did not seem the least bit phased by my carrying a demon on my chest. In fact he seemed to be slightly proud, though he was not open about it.

I took my white T-Shirt from the chair and put it on before pulling on a fresh pair of gray pants. A full plate of food did sound very appetizing. Strength did not come from endurance alone. I picked the blindfold off of my face. It was soaked in sweat, very uncomfortable. Setting it back down to dry, I hesitated at the door for a long moment before forcing myself down the stairs. This would be the first time that they would see my eyes.

Seated on the bottom step waiting for me was the daughter herself, to my surprise. I stopped my walk just behind her, trying my best not to frighten her.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked softly. My efforts proved to be futile as Shino jumped away from the stair and looked to me with wide eyes. I gave a small smile before covering my eyes with my fingers.

"Remember me now?" She broke into a smile, before giggling at me.

"Yes!" She confirmed, glancing towards the table before leaning closer.

Cupping her little hands around her mouth to whisper to me. I humored her by leaning down and doing the same with my ear to hear her. "You helped me get away from the shadow man."

I leaned back and gave a nod. Her smile widened even more then I was pulled to the table by the hand. _Shadow man… She remembers when I helped her_. I had a soft spot for the little girl. She was about six.

"He came down!" She called out happily, pushing me into a seat.

"Now Shino, there's no need to handle Kanda like that." Hinata scolded with a grin of her own. Kiba shook his head, his lips twitching into a small smile, and then dinner was served.

Dinner with them wasn't as I thought it was going to be. I was not interrogated as severely as when I first came to them. Only a curious question every now and then and Kiba's dog begging for scraps of food.

"How did you get the money for the rent?" Hinata asked.

"My job." I answered.

"What is your job?" Kiba asked.

"I help Farina with her weapons forge." I replied.

"Why do you constantly wear that rag around your eyes?" from Shino.

"It helps protect my eyes from the dust." I lied.

"Will you be joining us again?" from Hinata

"I don't know." I answered honestly.

"Did you like it better in the Shadow village or the Leaf?" Kiba asked.

"Leaf, definitely." I nodded. "In the Leaf I'm not following the orders of that psychopath Sasuke. And I never killed anyone without reason here either…"

"What do you mean?" Sethio asked.

I stopped eating. Remembering my first real kill…

"Let's just say its better here." I said softly. Kiba didn't push it.

After we finished dinner, I decided to be helpful. Instead of having Hinata do all of the dishes, I made a small ball of chakra. I passed it over each of the plates. When I removed it, it had incinerated every bit of remnants on the plates. Hinata and Kiba looked at me with gratitude.

_Before I go tonight, I will need to try on that weapon I got the other day. _I thought, returning to my room. I had long since planned to buy it, but I had never found it anywhere. I had finally gone to Farina, and she had made it.

It was a hidden blade.

A few minutes and numerous drops of blood later, I was beginning to regret my decision.

Gritting my teeth, I held my bleeding hand and glared down to the damned hidden blade. I had tried it on my right hand, and then my other hand, with the same result. Now both my right index finger and my left ring finger bled with skin hanging off the side. I could not find an easy way to get the blade to come out and stay out without having to clench my fists. _How the hell do I use it effectively? _Was it a trick of the hand? I could barely keep it on without the blade carving at my fingers.

Reaching down the side of my bed, I took hold of the ball of ripped rags and old tunics. Unraveling some from the ball, I dunk it into the water basin and used it to clean my new wounds before bandaging them with a sigh. Now I had to be wary of infection, adding wood to the fire of my paranoia. _It could have been worse, I guess. What if I had gone with my original thought and coated it with poison before trying it on?_

When I finished bandaging my hands I buried my face within them. Blood seeped through the material, meaning I would need to stitch them shut, and I didn't know how to use a needle and thread. _Perhaps if I asked Hinata?_ She was a woman, and knew how to mend clothes. Why not flesh?

Slightly turning my head to the water basin, I reached out and pushed it off. It fell to the floor, breaking with a loud enough crash. I pushed the hidden blade under the pillow, my other weapons and the poison safely hidden under the bed _(I should really have thought twice about reaching under the bed_). I reburied my face into my hands and waited. Sure enough, soft footsteps came up the stairs and knocked at my door a little while after.

"Kanda? Are you alright? I heard a crash." Hinata's voice sounded, genuinely concerned.

The sound of the tone of her voice brought a sad smile to my face. I dimly recalled my mother sounding very similar. I pushed myself from the bed to answer the door, completely bare from the waist up. Hinata and her husband wouldn't care about me not hiding the seal as long as they saw blood.

I opened the door slowly, acting a bit hesitant. She looked me over, her face suddenly flushed and she avoided looking at me. I looked to her innocently and gave a slight head tilt. "Is something wrong?"

She still did not turn to me and spoke. "Well… no. I heard a crash and came to see if you were alright."

"Oh." I replied before looking back to the broken basin, 'accidently' opening the door a bit wider.

"Just a little accident. I tried to pick up the pieces but…" I trailed off and showed her my bandaged hands with a small smile. _Seeing _IS_ believing… from what I've heard._

She peeked into the room and saw the broken pottery, before giving out a gasp when she took in the sight of my hands, taking them into her own for inspection.

"Kanda, these need stitching! Hurry. Down to the dining table." She ordered, pulling me out of my doorway and pushed me towards the stairs.

I heard as the door was slammed closed behind us as I walked down the stairs. _I didn't think it work out so well._ I felt myself smirk as she rushed into the hall and I took my seat at the table. I was beginning to removed the bandages when Shino ran inside through the back door. Stopped and came over to me. Here eyes shining in curiosity.

"Why are you naked?" She asked, staring at my demon-seal before looking down to my hands and flinch away when I revealed my blood soaked index finger.

I gave a soft chuckle. "I'm not naked. I just had an accident."

She gave out a soft 'oh' as I revealed the other blood soaked digit. She came closer and glanced to me with a soft pout. "Does it hurt?"

She took the bloody rags from my hand and put them on the table before taking one of my hands into her own, looking at it closely. I guess this was the first time she seen anything like this.

"Not as much as it's about to hurt." I told her as Hinata returned with a jar, needle, gauze and thread.

She shooed her daughter away and took the seat across from me, ordering me to place one of my hands on the table, palm up. I complied. Shino took a seat on the chair beside us. The both of us watched as her mother worked.

At first she looked over my finger and seethed as if she could feel my pain and took the lid from the jar. A strong herb smell quickly filled the air around us. Shino covered her nose and looked away. I was confused as to why she would look away… then Hinata spread a thick layer of the salve onto my finger.

I felt as though she was shoving countless needles into the wound, and I instantly seethed in pain.

_Now I understood why Shino looked away_!

Hinata shook her head and wiped the salve off with the gauze and muttered something along the lines of 'men' before threading the needle. The horrible sting in my finger did not fade away. But it did block out the pain of the needle and thread tugging and pulling my jarred skin together. I closed my eyes, blocking all pain...

**Flashback:**

_ "The body must obey the will." Sasuke spoke. He had observed my training with interest. "Hunger, pain, and thirst, even the blood on your veins, are the body's weakness. Master them, and you master yourself." Sasuke grabbed a knife, and sliced it into his hand, face blank. Then, with a green glow, he healed it. "This is the power of the Shadow Clan. This the way of the Ninja." He looked at us, me and my two training mates in the Shadow Clan: Hantan and Seiris, impassive. "Eat now, and you work twice as hard tomorrow."_

**End Flashback.**

She finished with my index finger and asked for my other hand. I was hesitant, and eyed the jar warily. It looked like it was mocking me_… now I have to worry about my mental health. I just said a jar was mocking me._

Hinata rolled her eyes and took my hand. "Honestly. You've endured it this far, you can surely go though it one more time."

I watched in slow horror as she dipped her hand back into the jar.

"I didn't think this would involve _torture_."

She laughed and smoothed the salve over my finger. I went through the very same hell again.

When she finished I withdrew my hand protectively. She smiled, and gave me a treat to share with her daughter for being 'good', and not running from her, like her husband often does. I couldn't help but smirk at that and enjoyed my treat. Shino was happy to have gotten something sweet. I guess it was good to have an apple covered in chocolate every now and then. I hadn't had one since… _Actually, I think this is the first time…_

I thanked Hinata for helping me and went back to my room. I cleaned the mess I had made and lay in my bed. Mentally preparing myself for what I was going to do. I still had hours before the sunset, and I needed to build enough nerve to escape or fight my way out… and it would most likely end up being both. I let out a shuddering sigh and draped an arm over my eyes. I needed more than just luck on my side if I wanted to live. If Konoha's rules about Genin leaving their hometown were the same as in Shadow Village, there would be elite ninja on my trail very soon. Hokage Naruto had seemed like a nice enough man, but I knew that Sasuke often pretended to be nice, and let out his true nature of evil when he wanted to. And since Sasuke and Naruto had trained together, then there must be some similarities between them…

Blinking my eyes open, I was met with total darkness. The softest rays of moonlight, forcing their way through the cracks of the boarded windows. _When did I fall asleep? How long was I sleeping?_

I sat up, snatching my weapons hurriedly. My short katana was strapped to my back, hilt protruding just over my right shoulder. Kunais were placed in appropriate places. Shuriken were placed in their pouch. The hidden blade was placed into the travel bag with a glare. My chain was wrapped around me bandolier style. I quickly wrapped my blindfold around my face and tucked my hair inside. I walked to the open window and jumped through. Instead of using my ladder, I ran up the wall on the other building beside my home and grasped the ledge, hauling myself up. Any ninja sent after me would have the advantage if I were on the ground. Standing up, I scanned around for any figures on the other roofs before I began to run. If it was anything like Shadow Village, they would find me; and before then it would be best if I got used to rooftops.

I came to a stop when I approached a set of beams. Two going directly across to the opposite building, three between them set vertically. _If I do this right, I'll be able to get across just by jumping from beam to beam._ Giving my own thought a nod of agreement, I took a few steps back. Then took four quick strides before giving one leap after another until my foot touched concrete. My arms flailed as I fought to regain my balance before letting myself fall to my knees, taking deep breaths to calm my rapidly beating heart. This _is something I am clearly not used to and having weapons strapped on the back makes balancing a lot more challenging._ I mentally complained.

Getting back up, I checked my weapons. After I found none had fallen or became slack, I started running again. I arrived near the plaza after a few minutes, maybe even hours of running and jumping through the air (more jumping and climbing than anything else). My nerve and stamina were both beginning to weaken, my adrenalin long gone. I hadn't found any ninja hunting for me yet. With a sigh I turned around… and lo and behold, two ninja stood there. They were wearing all black, and their faces were obscured by large hoods. My body involuntarily stiffened and my blood ran cold, my hand immediately shot out to my katana. _Damn! I was hoping to catch any pursuit from a farther range to shoot my shuriken!_

One of the ninjas was male. He turned to his accomplice and made a head motion towards me. She nodded, and the male leaped to my rooftop.

"Draw your weapon." The ninja before me commanded, pointing to me with his blade. A confident smirk graced his lips, sending my mind back to thinking I was going to die. _SHIT._

Glancing to the other figure warily, I flinched when she made a sound of impatience that came out like a growl and drew my short katana, switching it over to my right hand before turning my attention back to the man holding his blade at me. His smirk unnerved me, and he began to tilt his sword; taunting me. He took few steps to my left, keeping his sword pointing at me. In turn, I stepped to my right and stopped before I got too close to the ninja who was merely watching. I did not want my back turned towards either of them.

He stopped, now closer to my far left. We simply stared at one another for a brief moment. As unsure and frightened as I was, I raised my blade higher; holding it up just below my eyes as I reached for a dagger in my belt with my left hand. His smirk turned to a grim line, and he stepped forward, pushing my short katana aside with a sword and lunged at me. My heart skipped a beat and I quickly ducked, countering his attack by swinging my dagger across his abdomen. He leaped over me, avoiding my counter and from above he brought his sword down upon me. I quickly raised my short katana above my head to defend myself. We were stuck in an odd position. He stood over me, pushing his long sword against my blade as I was nearly bent backwards, down on one knee, my back facing him. My arm began to shake under his strength. He was staring at my sword. I noticed the dried brown of the poison.

"Strange… you'd best think of purchasing a replacement." He commented.

My eyes narrowed to a glare. Then I was sharply shoved forward, landing face first against the concrete roof top. I heard them laugh as I scrambled back to my feet, swinging my blade at him consistently, one blow after another, and my face burning with embarrassment.

"It's! Not! Rusted!" I yelled between blows, backing him to the ledge of the building. He looked taken off his guard as he glanced back to observe the height of the fall if he were to take another step back. Granting me the opportunity to copy his recent move and shove his blade aside.

"It's poisoned." I finished with a cut on his forearm, quickly taking a few steps back as he regained his balance. His teeth bared and clenched to grit as he looked down at his arm, he let out of quiet hiss of pain; _the poison was reacting quickly enough!_ I felt well accomplished as I backed from him and the look of worry flashed over his features.

My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach when he simply brushed off my earlier statement and came at me, swinging his sword down towards my shoulder. I did what my mind screamed and ran out of his reach, stopping abruptly when I came a few inches or so from crossed arms and a pair of breasts: nearly running into the other, female ninja. She stood as tall as me, but was standing on a rooftop a few inches higher then mine. She stared down at me before her eyes jumped to look past me. I dove to my right in a quick roll. The sound of steel clashing against steel rung in the air. I turned back to find a sword being held at bay by a kunai; the ninja had not been able to stop himself from attacking his accomplice. The ninja that had attacked blinked; his shoulders slumped and he backed away from his accomplice with a look of utter confusion and rubbed his eyes.

"What is it?" The watcher asked, sheathing her kunai. The other held his arm and fell to his knee, making the accomplice worry. "What's wrong?" she snapped, taking hold of the male's shoulders. He shook his head, holding his hand against his skull.

"It wasn't an idle threat. My arm has gone numb and my vision…" He said softly, his sword falling out of his hand with clatter on the roof.

In truth I didn't know how fast the poison worked, but I did remember what the merchant had said to me: _it will become deadly within an hour. Suma plant is the cure._ It was one of the simplest poisons. I did not want to die by simply pricking a finger and the amount of time he had had to make it made it impossible to make a stronger dose.

_Wait. That's what I wanted wasn't it? To kill anyone who tried to stop me?_

"Kill him." The fallen ninja seethed.

I jumped to my feet and backed away from the two. The accomplice ninja taking her friend's kunai. Her features set in a sneer. I couldn't even see if it was a ninja I knew: her mask took even that from me.

"Wait!" I called out desperately.

She did not stop. She began to circle me like an animal of prey, her form bent low as if she were coiled and ready to strike at any given moment, backing me to the edge of the roof where I had backed the other ninja just a moment ago. My breathing became erratic; a million reasons came to me of why I should live. My better instincts telling me to jump, sprint, leap- anything to get away from the ninja circling me. I wasn't skilled enough to beat them. I was just a Genin.

"If you feed him suma plant he will be fine!" I pleaded. I could feel the edge of the roof with my feet. I did not dare tear my gaze away from her to examine the fall and tried my best to convince her I was nothing worth killing.

"Silence." She snapped, lunging forward. I avoided by running to the other side of the roof, when I turned, her kunai came upon me. I blindly raised my blade to block it, but instead of feeling the weight of her blade clashing against mine I was shoved back into the wall, the kunai against my throat and the long sword pointed at my ribcage. Her hips were pressed into mine, as she pinned me by straddling me on the wall, her chakra sticking her feet to the wall like glue. It would have been an enticingly sexual position, were it not for the sword and the kunai. My arms flung from their place at my sides before I stopped within the mid-action of shoving her away from me. All she had to do was swiftly pull the kunai or push the sword through me and I would die, leaving nothing of value behind or even a fond memory for others to remember me by.

I could feel tears brimming my eyes. I had wanted a nice life; nothing extravagant, no huge dreams of glory. Just a normal life. Instead I get… _this_? Fangirls, a tolerant family using me for money, and a demon living in my body? I may not have been the most honorable of thirteen year old Genin, but I expected a better death than this!

She turned from me. Going back to her dying friend. More heat rose to my face. Heat of rage, offence and humiliation. Was she too far above me to kill me, now? _That arrogant piece of shit!_

"Why do you act like that?" I demanded.

She picked her friend from the floor, supporting him up. In a fit of rage I quickly took out my shuriken, taking aim. But she still didn't turn to look at me.

"Answer me!" I bellowed.

She turned, barely fazed that I had a shuriken aimed to her chest. She just stared directly at me, a look of pity in her eyes.

"What makes you so much better than me? Why didn't you kill-?"

_Why didn't you kill me?_

I hadn't realized that tears streamed from my eyes until my voice cracked in a choked sob. My shoulders shook uncontrollably and my aim faltered immensely. The ninja turned from me again, walking to the edge of the roof before looking back to me.

"This isn't over." she said. And jumped, leaving my line of sight. I threw my shuriken onto the concrete with a yell and threw myself back against the wall she had me pinned to only moments ago.

_She was supposed to kill me…_

I felt myself slide down the wall. Sitting against the wall, the sun beginning to rise, the wall that supported me shading me from its rays. I grit my teeth fiercely bringing my arm to my eyes. _I want it all to end- I want it all to go away._


	3. Chapter 3

I walked away from the training field, Taechi staring after me with a concerned look on his face. He should be concerned: I had stayed far longer then I intended to. Now I was three weeks into training, and learning lightning jutsus, for Christ's sake! I scaled the wall to my window/door, and climbed into my room. I threw myself down on the floor, leaning on the doorframe.

_I'm in a rut._ Since that encounter with the ninja's three weeks ago, I hadn't been myself. I'd been waking up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, my body shaking in fear, or I woke sobbing uncontrollably. _What have they done to me?_

I didn't feel the same anymore. It was always silent indifference or uncontrollably sobbing. I would catch myself staring at my blades a lot longer than I should. _I shouldn't be staring at them at all! Only when I train!_

_All these maddening thoughts of life and death are driving me insane._ I didn't want either one. I feared death and despised my life. I needed to escape. This was too hard.

It confused me that I felt the sting of disappointment when the ninja didn't kill me. If that girl hadn't gotten the suma plant in time, her friend would surely die, and she would come to kill me for revenge.

I needed to get away from Konoha… away from this life. _Why didn't I just disappear?_ I had no joy in life, anyway. The family downstairs wouldn't mind. Their daughter was growing; she would need a room of her own soon, not sleeping between her parents every night. But where could I go?

_Why didn't you kill me?_

He had had every reason to. She had had every right to. The pair of ninja, the man and the woman. Why did the man _allow _me to cut him?

_ Why didn't you kill me?_

The woman had had every reason to kill me. She was in the position to. Why didn't she?

_Why didn't you kill me?_

There were times when I longed for death. Now was one.

I picked up my kunai. I flipped it over, looking at the sharp edges. I placed the blade to my wrist. It would be painful for only a second, and then I would die, and be with my parents… forever.

I started to jerk the kunai down, to make a gash on my wrist, a painful wound but not a deadly one, but a knock on the door startled me. When I jumped, the kunai jerked.

My wrist was torn wide open. Veins gushed blood into the air. I yelled. Then I noticed the blade.

_Why didn't you kill me?_

It was a dull brown.

Poisoned.

_Why didn't you kill me?_

Quickly, I cast around. Knocking over several cases, opening my travel bag, scattering the contents.

I found my little pouch of suma plant. _Would it be enough?_

I staggered. I broke through the window with a fist, accidentally, as I stumbled. Then I fell. I started to place the suma plant in my mouth. I closed my jaw on it, chewing as I started to lose consciousness.

_Why didn't you kill me?_

As I swallowed, I saw the door burst open as Kiba used a jutsu on it. HE took in me, lying on the floor in a pool of my own blood. HE gasped.

"HINATA!" He yelled. "COME QUICK!"

_Why didn't you kill me?_

Shino appeared in the doorway as everything started going black.

The last sound I hear was her voice. "Kanda!" she yelled.

_Why didn't you kill me?_

Then I lost consciousness.

"So, you have finally done it." A voice asked.

"Done what?" I asked.

"You died." A large tiger was lounging on the floor.

"Then why am I here?" I asked.

"Because I am going to offer you a deal." Arquis, the demon tiger. "And a very good deal."

"I don't make deals with demons." I said firmly. "You guys are the enemies of humanity."

"Believe what you will, I am not the enemy of man."Arquis said quietly.

"And I'm supposed to believe you because?" I asked.

"Because if you don't take this chance you will die." He said calmly.

"So you're trying to make me do something for you and if I don't do it I die? My bait is my life?" I asked.

"Yes."

"That's pretty good bait." I admitted. "However, how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"See for yourself." He waved his paw.

Instantly I was lying on the ground. My throat felt constricted. I was staring at my wrist. It was opened up, veins and muscle spilling out of the huge rip.

"Do you see now?" Arquis said, and I was back in his home in my body. "You are dying. It is only a matter of time. Just like Naruto almost did."

"Like I said before… that's pretty good bait." I muttered. "What do I have to do?"

"Sign this contract." He lifted a piece of paper towards me. "And you will have the power to heal. I will give you all my power. You will be the strongest ninja in the Leaf!"

"Ack…" I gasped. I felt the pain now, even though I was in some strange place where I could speak with my demon.

"Sign the contract!" The demon said. "We don't have much time!"

"Damnit!" I swore, and then I staggered up to the tiger demon. I reached out, and signed.

Suddenly, a flash of light obscured my vision, and everything went white…

I sat up. I was in a white room. A hospital, I guessed. There were people in white uniforms walking around my ward, treating other people in nearby.

"What..?" I muttered. A nurse saw me, and rushed over.

She wasn't much of a nurse. When I thought of nurse, I thought of a fully trained medical ninja. This was merely a Genin student, a girl with red hair and orange highlights…

"Arianna…?" I asked.

My teammate looked worried. "Are you all right?" she asked me.

"I… I think so." I looked at my arm. It was covered in a large bandage. "What happened?"

"Kiba found you in your room, covered in blood. Your wrist was almost sliced through. There was a poisoned kunai lying nearby, and your room was in chaos. The Hokage thinks that someone tried to kill you." She looked at me, concerned. "What really happened?"

"You don't want to know." I said, sitting up. When I sat up, the blanket that was covering me fell back slightly. Arianna gasped. I looked down, confused. Then I saw that the demon seal on my chest was uncovered. Tentatively, Arianna reached out a hand. She traced the circular outside edge with a finger. Her skin was warm as it slid across mine, smooth, silky, and soft…

_…what the hell, she's engaged, you idiot! _I thought furiously.

"Does it hurt?" She asked softly.

"A little." I admitted. "Only when I want it to." She gasped a little at that, and I felt bad.

"How are things with the rest of the team?" I asked.

"Well, Taechi is trying to get Shinji to come visit you, but he doesn't really want to." She admitted.

"And why are you here?" I asked.

"I…" she stuttered, caught off guard. "I work here… and you're in my team, so the let… they let me treat you." She finished.

"You healed this?" I asked. "Nice job." I said with sincerity. Arianna's face lit up with a smile.

"Thank you."

I cast around. "Where's my blindfold?"

Arianna started away. "I'll get it!" she ran up to a desk, behind which a bored ninja sat reading a book called Make-Out Romance. He jumped up when Arianna asked something, and then reached down and shoved something at her.

"Take the demon his stuff and be gone." He snapped.

Instantly, I was on my feet. Blocking out the pain was no big deal for me after Shadow Village.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Pain breeds weakness." Sasuke spoke. "Remember, suffering exists only because weakness exists. You must hate all weakness. Hate it in others, but most of all hate it in yourself."_

**END FLASHBACK**

I stood before the man, my seal slightly glowing black.

"You should be more polite to your betters." I hissed. I grabbed my stuff, and motioned Arianna to start leaving. I slung the bag of my possessions on my shoulder, and leapt out the window. Arianna followed me with a cry.

"Wait!" She said, trying to leap from roof to roof like I was doing. "You aren't fully recovered yet!"

I ignored her. I felt GREAT. Besides the pain, the energy and power that flowed through my veins was like a drug. As I leaped from roof to roof, I grudgingly slowed down to allow Arianna to keep up.

"You shouldn't be doing that!" she yelled, as I grabbed a sideways flagpole and used it as a swinging bar. I flew off of it, and single handedly did a back flip off of a ledge. I landed on the spire of the Hokage's tower.

Arianna arrived a few moments later, out of breath and terrified for my safety.

"Relax, I'm fine." I laughed. I reached into the bag of my things, and tied my blind fold over my eyes. I grabbed a T-Shirt, and pulled it on.

Arianna grimaced. "Why do you wear that thing anyway?"

"The blindfold?" I asked. "Habit, mostly…" I took it off, and looked at it. "I was trained in Shadow Village, and part of my training was being able to fight without the benefit of sight. The majority of my training was conducted with a blindfold. And believe me; it saved my life several times."

"How do you fight without seeing?" She asked, curious.

"I can see your chakra." I said. I formed a ball of chakra in my hand. "I have a natural affinity and skill for chakra." I brought some chakra to my eyes. "You're chakra is red."

Arianna blushed. I laughed.

"What color is yours?" She asked. I lifted the ball of chakra in my hand.

"What color do you think? You can see it. It's black."

"Kanda?" Hinata called out.

I stared back at her with a raised brow and finished buckling the belt around my waist, a little relieved. If she had decided to walk in a moment ago while I was indecent… _well, that might have been just plain embarrassing for the both of us._

"Yes, Hinata?" I called reaching back for my blindfold and scanning around the room for my leather boots. She stood at the door frame and I heard her _tsk_ in disapproval. I tuned to her and found she was standing there with her hands on her hips and glowering at me like a mother would to a disobedient child when she'd caught them doing something naughty. By reflex, I froze where I stood and attempted to look innocent, offering a small smile. "Is something wrong?" I asked, nervousness chimed loudly in my tone and I let the blindfold fall on my shoulders and hang loosely.

"You're withering away Kanda!" She exclaimed in a huff.

I stood bewildered by her claim and glanced down to myself. _Is my body so…thin_? She huffed again and quickly took hold of me by said belt and dragged me out of me room, mumbling that I was not going to die of starvation under her roof. She dragged me down stairs and forced me at the table to… _fatten up_ as she put it. I wasn't complaining at first, the food was delicious and I felt as though I didn't eat in months. It felt nice and I was grateful for the woman's motherly concern towards me. But after my fourth plate of food, two cups of water and a fruit…

_Dear God, this woman's trying to kill me_.

I stared down at my fifth plate filled with food with a feeling that I was going to be sick if I ate any more. Hinata sat across from me, sewing, while her daughter sat waiting for me to finish so I could play with her. She sat with a smile, glancing to my plate then back at me. I tried to smile back before placing my attention back to my plate. I poked at it. I found myself wishing that I was with my team. They didn't know torture or pain, at least until they met Hinata and her stitching, and her insistence on y eating FIVE plates of food. _I know she means well enough, but it's hard to tell the woman 'no' or 'enough'._ It had been six weeks since I had rejoined the team, but I preferred to be at the sharp end of their blades, rather than my stomach bursting.

"Do you want more water?" Shino asked. I shook my head 'no' and continued to poke at my plate, rearranging the food for a moment and glanced to Hinata as she spoke. "Kanda, would you mind accompanying me and Shino to the market?"

I didn't hesitate and agreed with an eager nod. _Any excuse that leads to getting away from a sixth plate of food. _She smiled gratefully, obviously holding back a relieved sigh and gently ordered Shino to go and get herself ready. I didn't have to wait long for the both of them and we set off to the market place. During the walk, Shino somehow manipulated me into carrying her and from there Hinata took the chance to gather what she needed and gave me some coins to buy something for her _little flower_ that was comfortably resting on my hip and in my arms. The woman walked away from the both of us a little too quickly and it bothered me how much the woman trusted me with her only child… _I don't know how to handle her._ I put the coins into my pouch and glanced back to the child in my arms as her eyes jumped from stand to stand, person to person and building to building. She seemed as excited as she clung onto my shoulder and pointed to a stall littered with cloth.

"I want a pretty one!" she said excitedly and practically guided me towards said stand. The man behind the stand was rather old and had white hair that rested messily on his shoulders and an odd hat on top that matched his red and orange tunic. _I have seen this man many times before while I came by for school, but haven't actually bothered to see his merchandise or even give a wave of greetings._

"Your sister is simply beautiful, young man. You must be very proud." He said to me.

_I'm not her brother!_ I was taken aback and felt heat rise to my face by the man's assumption but before I could deny it Shino leaned down and picked up a light blue dressing from the stand with an excited gasp.

"Look! I want this one!" She said in awe.

The merchant chuckled merrily. "Of course you do, but you are missing the scarf."

_Of course she is._ I thought bitterly to myself as he picked up a matching cloth and passed it to Shino. Her eyes shined brightly and grinned from ear to ear, all the while I worried on the price knowing Shino had her hopes up for the clothing meaning that I had to buy it for her no matter the cost. I felt myself scowl at the 'matching' scarf and turned my attention back to the old merchant. "How much?" The man shook his head with a kind smile. "I started a family when I was very young and know the hardships of raising a family. I would be a cruel man to put a price on your sister's happiness."

…_what?_

I didn't know what to say. All I could do at that moment was stare at the man, completely taken aback while Shino said thank you and we left the stand without another word. _Why didn't Shino tell him I wasn't her brother?_ I quickly ridded myself of the question before I thought too much on it. Over-thinking situations and such had always brought me devastating results and answers, not to mention bringing my hopes up for nothing. I spent the next two hours looking for Hinata. _I swear it's like that woman doesn't want to be found_! The heat was beginning to rise, I could feel it upon my scalp and only the shadow of the buildings served as a relief when I would walk along them. _If only the thugs and ANBU agents didn't scare Shino, we would have been saved from the sun throughout most of our walk._

I must have walked through the market place at least nine times with the girl still clinging to my shoulder and my arms wrapped under her legs. She had wrapped her free garb into a tight ball and secured it within my t-shirt, making it seem as though I were pregnant… I did not find it amusing in the least. She smiled and hugged the lump every now and then with a giggle, and then hugged it more when she knew someone was eying us oddly. I tried to ignore it and allowed her to do what she wanted just so she wouldn't go out of control on me… even if it meant looking like a fool. I chuckled lightly, and raised her higher onto my hip.

"If you bear with me for a little longer we will go back and do anything you want." I promised her, scanning the crowd for her mother. _Where the hell did that woman go?_ Shino gasped in excitement and squirmed, trying to pull herself higher onto my shoulder. I watched her in amusement before finally helping her. I didn't like the looks we were receiving from the armed guards at the end of the street.

"Can I come watch you train?" she asked. Her face was adorable, and her cute little voice made it almost impossible to say no.

"… Sure?" I said hesitantly. Shino was going to enter the ninja academy soon, like her parents had. She had asked me several times to teach her a jutsu. I had had to carefully explain to her that she had to first go to the academy, and understand about chakra and all of its various forms first before it was safe for her to do a jutsu. Besides, I didn't know any particularly _safe_ jutsus: mine were all focused on combat. And I was sure that I didn't want the little girl paralyzing Hinata and Kiba with the Shade of the Black Moon jutsu!

"Where do you suppose your Mommy is?" I asked, making a turn—then I froze within a mid-step, paling to a degree as my blood seemed to stop circulating. Shino gave a shrug and continued balling the items into the rags, innocently.

A female ninja in black was standing in the shadows, staring straight at me.

_Oh damn._ Was all that came to my mind when I registered the fact she had seen little Shino in my arms, and had most likely had a very good look at her. I quickly turned on my heel and walked the other way, bumping into Hinata. I think I grew even paler. _Damnit!_

Hinata jumped and placed a free hand over her chest, the other hand holding a basket filled with everything she and her family needed and smiled up at me.

"Oh! You gave me a fright, Kan-"

"Shh! don't say my name!" I snapped in a harsh whisper.

She was taken aback for a moment before a look of suspicious worry crossed over her face in a motherly way. "Is something wrong?"

I took hold of Hinata's shoulder and gently pulled her toward me close enough so she can hear my hushed voice.

"I can't tell you right now but I promise I will explain at a later time. Take Shino." I gave Shino to Hinata and started walking towards the female ninja.

The female motioned for me to follow her, and entered an alley.

"What do you want with me?" I hissed. "Isn't it enough you tried to kill me and then left me there? What more do you want from me?"

The female ninja smirked a bit. She drew her kunai.

_SHIT!_ I thought. I didn't even have a weapon. I quickly drew chakra to my hands. If she came at me, I would form a chakra ball and kill her.

"I came… to thank you." She said.

_Huh?_

"To… thank me?" I asked, confused and stunned. "Why?"

"You killed my master." She said simply. She held the kunai towards me, handle first.

"And you thank me for that?" I asked incredulously. "I thought you were going to kill me!"

"I still might." She warned. "You have seen my face, and you have heard my voice. If you were forced, you could identify me."

"Shit." I chuckled mirthlessly. "Guess I will end up dead before this is over."

"Perhaps." She said. "When you killed my master, you destroyed the jutsu he placed on my mind."

"… Say what?" I asked.

"That man who tried to kill you?" she said. "He was from the Shadow. He knew you."

"And… Wait…" I stopped. Her face was familiar. "You can't be…"

"Kanda…" tears formed in her eyes. She stepped forwards.

"Seiris…" I hugged her. "It is so good to see you again."

"You killed Hantan." She whispered. "Sasuke made him my master… put a jutsu on me… but you saved me…"

"Seiris…" I whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

In the comfort of my own room, I stood topless in front of the candle that sat atop the wood table. It was already well passed dinner time, and the family downstairs was already asleep, a plate of home cooked dinner sitting atop the end table, along with a flask filled with fresh water. The food had already cooled, while the water had gone to room temperature.

I didn't know what to make of what I felt at the moment… not regarding the food but after my recent experience. I couldn't explain it to myself. It was like an awakening. I'd tasted death and now knew what to expect. _It was like falling asleep._

And then I'd met Seiris again. The girl from my past. She was like a fresh fruit on a summer day. And she had shown up right when I had been about to leave for training, too.

I mused and glanced back to my bed, where I had hidden my weapons and poison until I found someone willing to take them off my hands. I pondered over this for a time and moved to sit on my bed, still clutching the blindfold in my hand, absently thumbing over the material.

"Damnit." I cursed and fell back onto my bed folding my free hand behind my head as a pillow, my legs hanging off the edge and feet flat against the cool concrete floor.

I thought of leaving my team to be with Seiris.

There were so many things that were wrong with that thought. It was only twisted reasoning. I didn't even know if I loved her. Maybe I used to, but that had been several years ago. Besides, a commitment you keep only when it's convenient isn't a commitment at all. I had committed to being a ninja, and I was going to do that.

I let the blindfold fall onto my bare and sealed torso, and pressed my palms against my eyes in frustration. _I don't know what to do, and this one certain thought keeps nagging at me:_ _I shouldn't have tried to kill myself that time_.

"Kanda?"

I instantly shot up from my bed about to jump over my bed to the window, and sighed when I saw that it was only little Shino in my door way, wearing her fathers tunic as a nightdress. _How could I have not heard the door creak open? I'm a ninja, for God's sake! _I offered a small smile and rested my elbows on my knees.

"What is it Shino? You shouldn't be up this late." I said softly. The candle light made it difficult for me to see her completely, and could only make out her small form, as she began to tremble, and she sniffled. Worry struck me. I rose from the bed, coming closer to her she wiped her eyes, and taking shuddering gasps for air. I opened the door the rest of the way, the candle light shining onto her, and tears spilled from her eyes. I knelt down to her level, completely unsure how to handle a crying woman, let alone a child.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I jumped as a full sob wracked her body.

"I had a bad dream." She choked out, her small voice hoarse and strained. _She must have been crying for a while now._ I leaned forward to peek down the stairs to check if her parents were awake, and her small arms wrapped around my neck as she buried her face into my shoulder, and cried even harder. I was… surprised, and allowed her to cry on me, and after a while of this she didn't make any signs that she was going to stop. In fact she seemed to cry even harder and I could feel her tears beginning to run down my chest. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair, softly whispering that it would be okay. Even still, her crying did not cease, so I wrapped my arm behind her legs and carried her to my bed, leaving the door open. I sat at the edge of the bed and cradled her in my arms, something my mother used to do for me when I was hurt. So far back that it seemed a lifetime ago.

Her breathing calmed and her sobs went down to an occasional hiccup, though tears still fell from her eyes and her hair stuck to her face. I pushed her wild hair from her face gently.

"Are you alright now, Shino?" I asked softly. She shook her head and gave a small hiccup. I smiled down at her and began to rock us both back and forth. "What was the dream about?"

Her little form shook as she tried to speak, her words coming out as short gasps. "The evil ninja."

I held her closer and rubbed her back. My eyes jumped around the room for something to take her mind off her 'evil ninja', but all I had was weapons, a blindfold, clothes, and more weapons… and I highly doubted her parents would be happy to know that I let their only child play with a poisoned kunai. I continued to rock her in my arms and sat her up more.

"Shh, it's alright… would you like some water?" I asked hopefully, wiping her tears with my thumb. She shook her head again bringing my hopes back down. "How about we share some food?"

Her hiccups stopped and gave a slow nod. _Thank God,_ I thought with great relief and set her down on the bed and took the cold plate of food from the table, setting it between us. We both picked at the food, there was no need to use utensils since it was a bed not a table. I was grateful that she had stopped crying and she began to watch my fingers: when I would go back for more food, she would try grabbing what I was reaching for before I touched it. So I began to take food faster, and it became a game.

I let her take the last bit and she smiled proudly. "I won!"

I chuckled and put the plate back. "Yes, you beat me… so why did you come to me?"

She ate the food and gave a shrug. My brow raised. _Doesn't she share a room with her parents?_ I looked down at her sternly. "Shino… answer me."

She looked down and began to trace swirls into the sheets of the bed. "…because dad was hurting mom again." She said innocently, looking back up to me with a pleading look. "Don't tell them I told you, please Kanda?"

I gave a perplexed nod. He was hurting Hinata… again? But Kiba was not that sort of man at all; it was very rare for him to raise his voice, even. _How could he be hurting…? Hinata… this late at night…_

_Oh._

I felt heat rise to my face and covered my mouth. _I shouldn't have pushed her to tell me, I could've gone through the night fine if I didn't know what was going on down stairs. They must be trying to give Shino a little brother…_

"Kanda?" Shino called with a confused tone. She looked down to her dressing, her eyes filled with fear. My embarrassment completely gone, I turned to her with worry. She looked so… pitiful, and seemed to be struggling with something. I hesitantly reached for her and rubbed her back… she was so young… I didn't know how to put a child to bed. _What a father I would be,_ I thought.

"…can he hurt me?" She asked me.

I assumed she was talking about the evil ninja (since it would be disturbing if she was talking about her dad) and shook my head. "No, Shino. He can't hurt you."

"Really?" She asked, her spirits slightly picking up.

I smiled some and nodded.

"Yes. I'll get him before he comes for you again." I replied a bit awkwardly_. I can't believe I'm talking about a child's dream as if I can really help._

"You'll kill the evil ninja?"

My heart skipped a beat and my hands clenched nervously. It was like a slap across the face. The word echoed in my mind almost mockingly. I didn't know why hearing her say it aloud affected me so much. I glanced to her. Her innocent eyes looked to me with uncertain hope as if she was willing me to answer to her favor. I swallowed and nodded, reaching to her and mussed her already wild mass of hair in a very poor attempt to tame it.

"…yes. Don't worry." I said with a sigh.

She pushed my hand away from her hair and held it within her little hands as if she were pleading to me. I was taken aback by this action, and stared like a fool.

"You promise?"

I forced a small smile on my face.

"_Yes_. I'll protect you, Shino." I assured her. She smiled and lay down on my bed, and asked if she could stay up all night with me. I let her, and she fell asleep in my bed soon after. I left her there, since I didn't want to walk in on Hinata getting _hurt,_ nor did I have the heart to wake the child and tell her to get out.

Now I sat on the floor with my back against the bed side, the door wide open and the candle blown out. It would be a few hours yet before Kiba got up for work and noticed his daughter was missing. Said daughter occupied my only bed, and I couldn't leave her and go to sleep in the forest, as I did sometimes. What would happen if she found my weapons and accidently poisoned herself? How could I explain that to her parents? I yawned and brought my one knee up to my chest then rested my chin upon it while my other leg lay flat on the floor. There was the child behind me. I was truly surprised that she came to me instead of her own father; I didn't know she trusted me so much… and her mother…Though she was demanding and like all other women, and she had this need to pry, she was still very kind, and reminded me of my own mother.

A stifled sob racked my body before I realized the lump in my throat and I brought both knees to my chest and pressing my face against them. I missed my family terribly. I didn't care about Sasuke's wrath anymore, I only wanted to see their faces, hear their voices, feel them near me again. _But if I leave, what happens to Shino? What if the Shadow Village comes after them for protecting me?_ I froze and my head snapped up. Slowly, I reached under the bed and grasped the hilt of my short katana. It slipped out of its sheath easily. I had the short blade in my hand.

What will happen to Shino? Or Seiris? Or Arianna? Or Kiba and Hinata? If I leave, what would become of them?

I stared down at the steel of my weapon, the sharp edge coated with poison. With a small amount of chakra, I destroyed the poison on its edge.

_They need to be protected… I'll protect them. _I felt a smile curve on my lips as I re-sheathed my blade.

I grimaced as I read through the list Arquis had given me. _Seal perimeter, check. Ninth jutsu formation paint, check… red shear markings, check… now all I have to do is the hand signs…_

I stood in the clearing that I had made. THE entire area was painted with the seal that Arquis had shown me.

I flipped the hand signs. A flash of light occurred.

"You have arrived."

I turned, searching for the voice. I found its source in a tiger. It was a black tiger with red stripes. He smiled at me lazily. He was lying on the ground with his head resting on his paws. His four tails curled lazily.

"You… aren't Arquis." I decided.

"Of course not." He snorted. "I certainly hope I'm not that old." He stood, stretching like a cat. It gave me a good view of his claws. "Arquis sent me here. He said you would be coming."

"Where _am_ I?"

"Our world." A deep voice said. As I looked around to find the source of the voice, I saw the air next to the three-tailed black and red tiger shimmer. Out of the shimmering air materialized a large orange tiger, with black stripes. His one tail was extra long, and it curled into a wicked spike.

"Arquis." I spoke warily.

"Yes, it is I." HE spoke.

"I thought you had more tails then that?" I asked.

"Oh no." Arquis laughed. "Our system works in reverse of the fox system. The more powerful you get the less tails you have."

"Uh, whatever you say, sir."

The one-tailed tiger laughed. "Come now, we have lived together for years. Don't be so formal."

"…huh?" I said stupidly.

Arquis turned to the smaller tiger. "I see you have met my son, Sethio."

"Yup." The black and red tiger nodded. "Your name is…?"

"My name is… uh…" I was flustered by this sudden change. "Inyachi Kanda."

"Is there a problem?" Arquis looked at my confused face. "You didn't really read through the entire contract, did you?"

"I was dying at the time." I retorted, annoyed.

"The contract says several things." Arquis began. "I saved your life. In exchange for that, I want you to destroy the fool Sasuke, and that man Johan. He has become a danger to us. After you destroy him, you will be free to do as you wish. However, if we have need to summon you, you _will_ answer."

"That's all?" I asked. "That sounds too easy. No plan for world domination? No extinction of the human race? No enslavement of mankind?"

Arquis looked genuinely puzzled. Then he broke out laughing.

"I guess you haven't guessed it. After being taught your whole life that Kyuubi nearly destroyed Leaf village, and that I nearly did the same to Shadow village, it makes sense that you think us heartless monsters. But the truth is, we have honor, and can be just as peaceful as you humans can be." He paused. "I am doing this because I owe you. Because of me, you suffered your entire life being judged. Naruto wasn't much different: people thought him evil because of the Kyuubi. Truth is, I am trying to make it up to you."

"And you expect me to believe you?"

"Trust me." The black and red tiger, Sethio, spoke up. "Father is a good tiger. If he says something, he means it."

"All right, fine." I said, playing along. "And I have to stay here in your world, I suppose?"

"Of course not." Arquis said. "I won't be _training _you. I'm doing a _memory transfer_. It's much faster."

"Memory transfer?" I asked.

"We're replacing your bodily muscles with synthetic muscles that have the muscle memory for everything you will be able to do already in them." He explained. "Also, we will be giving you artificial memories that relate to learning those things."

"All right." I said, agreeing for real this time. I would do anything in order to protect my family. "So, where do we start?"

I lay on a stone tablet, surrounded by magical seals and strange ropes of chakra.

"When it starts," a yellow, female tiger spoke, "Whatever your reason is for doing this, focus on that. Maybe it will help."

"Trust me, I've been through worse." I said grimly. After Sasuke's torture training, nothing hurt anymore.

The yellow tiger stared into my eyes. "No, you haven't." She whispered.

Arquis looked at me. "We're going to make you into something new. But first, we will have to destroy you." He paused. "To go through with this, you are going to have to embrace your other side. Become the animal."

I stared back into his eyes. "Let's do this."

"I almost forgot." He lifted a pair of ninja dog tags. "These were left in my sanctum when you 'died'."

"I want new ones." I ordered.

"What do you want them to say?" Arquis asked.

I paused, and then spoke. "White Tiger."

Arquis scratched the name into the metal, with only a chakra infused claw. HE placed them around my neck.

The infusion began.

I roared in agony. It was as if there was nothing but pain for my entire life. This was eternity, and yet eternity was already come. The pain itself was an eternity.

"Body temperature 108 and rising." A tiger warned.

"Why is he thrashing like that?" another tiger asked Arquis.

"HE feels pain, like the rest of the humans." Arquis responded. "But our pain-blocking jutsus won't work on him. That's why he had to sign the contract."

"Heart rate 190." The female tiger spoke. "195… 200… 235… Heart rate well beyond maximum."

"Blood pressure?" Arquis asked.

"260 over 180 and rising." Sethio responded.

"He can make it." Arquis whispered.

"Heart rate 300." The female spoke.

_Kanda…_ I heard a voice.

"Heart rate zero." The female whispered.

There was blackness.

I sat up in a cold sweat. I was in my little room in Kiba and Hinata's home. Shino was tugging on my sleeve.

"Come on, Kanda, you're going to be late for training!" She yelled. She was ecstatic with happiness for some reason. She was dressed in a little ninja training outfit.

_What… what just happened?_ I wondered. _I was in my clearing… then I did what Arquis told me. They tried that transfusion thing, and... Then it's all black. How did I get here?_

I stood, stretching. "Uh, yeah. What time is it?" I asked.

"Eight twenty-five!" She said, still tugging on my sleeve.

I splashed a handful of water on my face, wiping away the sweat. After making Shino wait outside for a few minutes, during which I changed into my training clothes. I wore a hooded white long-sleeved shirt and gray pants. I strapped my now un-poisoned weapons to myself, and walked out the door. Hinata was waiting downstairs.

"Hey Hinata. Hi Kiba." I waved, greeting my land owners with a yawn.

"Good morning, Kanda." Hinata smiled. "Are you and Shino ready to leave?"

"Um… why is Shino following me while dressed in a ninja outfit?" I had to ask.

"Don't you remember?" Kiba said, taking a sip of water while reading a book on jutsus. "Today was the day you were going to take Shino to watch you train."

"She dressed like that because she wanted to look like you." Hinata giggled. I took a good look at what Shino was wearing for the first time: a red and white long-sleeved shirt sporting a black design with a hood, and a pair of long red-black camouflage pants. Her feet were shod with black combat boots, and she wore a pair of white fingerless gloves, along with a black headband.

I frowned. "That headband looks familiar…"

"She made it to copy your blindfold." Kiba chuckled. I groaned, before kneeling down to Shino's level.

"Shino, you have to promise me that you won't walk around with that covering you eyes." I said sternly. Shino pouted for a moment, before nodding.

"All right, we're going!" I waved. I started walking up towards my room, automatically starting to leave by the window, when I was stopped by a voice.

"Kanda?" Kiba spoke. "The door is down here."

Turning red for a moment, I quickly thanked her, and left through the front door for the first time in my life.

It still bothered me slightly how much Kiba and Hinata trusted me with their only daughter…

Shino was very good for the first part of the training. It was exercising and stretching, plus a long run up and down the training field carrying a large weight on our backs. Taechi, my trainer, weighed Shino, and allowed her to replace the weigh that would have been strapped to my back by having her sit on my shoulders while I ran.

Next up was sword forms. Shino was quite good during this as well; for the first seventy times we did the forms, she copied us, using a stick. After the seventieth time, she threw herself onto the grass, panting, and watched us do the remainder.

After we went through sword forms, it was Jutsu practice. Shino tried her hardest to get Taechi to show her how to do a jutsu, and eventually Taechi gave in. He found that her affinity was water. He had her sit beneath a waterfall for a long time, absorbing and learning to "become one with the water" as he put it. Then he showed her a jutsu on how to make water change temperature; he didn't tell her how to make it extremely hot though, in an attempt to keep her from burning herself. At the end of the day, she could freeze water solid, and change water temperatures.

I was practicing my lightning jutsus. When Taechi saw that I could do the preliminary jutsu well, he taught me my first combat one: Aura of Thunder. I merely shrugged, and did it on the first try expertly.

"Kanda…" he stuttered. "No one, not even the Hokage Naruto himself, was able to learn a jutsu on his first try!" he exclaimed.

"Um… master Taechi…" Arianna stuttered. "I think that Kanda has had a bit more experience with jutsus then we have… the other day… I saw him do… do… do a….a…"

"What is it?" Taechi looked at me, suspicious.

"What?" I asked, confused. I formed a ball of chakra in my hand. "This?"

"WHAT?" Taechi exclaimed. That brought Shino running. "You don't mean to say that you… you can do a RASENGAN!"

"That's what this is called?" I asked, confused. "But you all are acting like it's so difficult. It's easy, for me. Watch this." I manipulated my chakra. The ball of chakra became a sword of chakra. Everyone gasped. Taechi's eyes narrowed, and he quickly flipped a hand sign that allowed him to see my amounts of chakra. He gasped.

Taechi grabbed me by the back of my shirt. "We're taking you to see the Hokage right now." He said sternly.

"What? WHY!" I asked, trying to escape his grasp.

"Because for someone to have the immense chakra amount and control that you do is physically impossible!" he snapped. "That leaves one possibility: YOU HAVE USED A FORBIDDEN JUTSU!"

"WAIT!" a voice yelled.

We all stopped.

"Seiris…?" I whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I was watching you train… and I saw him…" She stuttered. Then she gathered her resolve. "He's not rouge! He never used a forbidden jutsu in his life!"

"And how do you know?" Taechi rounded on her. "This boy came from the Shadow Village! Who knows what arcane rights they use there!"

"I do…" she said. "I used to be his training partner, back in the Shadow." She said softly.

Taechi froze.

"It's all right." Another voice broke in. "I know the reason that his chakra is so unusual."

Every eye turned to the newcomer. Taechi kneeled.

"Hokage Naruto!" he stammered. Arianna's eyes grew wide. Shinji smirked quietly. Shino smiled, and ran up to him, receiving a hug.

"There's my little Shino!" he laughed. "I haven't been around to see you parents at all recently. How are things?"

"We're good!" she laughed. "Taechi and Kanda taught me a water jutsu!"

"Is that so?" he looked at me with a smile. "Glad to see your keeping her safe."

"Um… uh…" I was sweating bullets.

Naruto walked up to me. "Kanda, why haven't you listened to me? I summoned you a while ago, and you never came. At first I thought that Taechi had forgotten, but he isn't that kind of person."

"Well, uh, you see…" I stammered.

Seiris stood behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder, glaring up at the Hokage.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" he asked.

"Um… Hokage, this is Seiris." I introduced them. "Seiris, Hokage Naruto."

"I see. So this was your traditional partner." The Hokage spoke, after Taechi told him what had happened. "As for your chakra levels and control, there is a simple explanation for that." He motioned for me to unbutton my shirt. I stopped dead.

_If I unbutton my shirt, they'll see the seal!_

"Do it, Kanda." Naruto said. "Trust me." He lifted his shirt. On his stomach was a demon seal. The seal of the fox.

Kyuubi the nine-tailed fox.

Reluctantly, I unbuttoned my shirt. Shino looked from Naruto, to my friends, to me. I took a deep breath, and revealed my seal.

Even I gasped.

The seal had changed. It used to be of a white tiger with red stripes coiling through a red circle and around the strange red abstract lines that were lined through it. Now the lines of the seal, apart from the tiger, were pure black. I looked up at Naruto quickly. His face was unreadable. He traced the design with his eyes, searching for something.

Then he nodded.

"I thought as much." He said. "Your demon has given you a portion of his power. A portion that makes you well above the merits of even a Jonin." He stroked his beard. "You knew Sasuke, didn't you?"

I stiffened. Even hearing that monster's name made me tremble with rage.

"Yeah." I growled. "I knew him." Arianna placed her hand on the shoulder where Seiris's hand wasn't resting. Seiris gave Arianna a look. Arianna returned the look.

_Oh dear god, don't tell me that they're becoming rival fangirls!_

Naruto scratched his head. "You know, I think that I will take personal training of you, Kanda. Your particular talents need to be honed by someone who understands them-"

"But wait!" I interrupted. "I like my squad!"

Naruto sighed. "Yes, I understand that, but weren't you planning on leaving Leaf anyway?"

I stiffened. "How did you know about that?" I demanded.

"Don't you think that I know what goes on in my city?" he asked. "I had an agent of ANBU watching your house for the last three weeks, ever since you never answered my call. He saw you battling the pair of ninja, and he watched as you lost to them." He paused. "He also told me about how you tried to commit suicide."

"Kanda!" Taechi, Shino, Arianna and Seiris spoke in a shocked tone of voice at the same time.

"I survived." I retorted. "And isn't working as a team, covering for your teammates weaknesses what being in a three man squad is about? Aren't we supposed to learn to work together? Whether you like it or not, I'm learning with my team one way or another, Hokage!" I said in a firm tone of voice. Naruto raised an amused eyebrow. I guessed that no one had spoken to him like that since he had become Hokage.

"Very well." He sighed. He started walking away. "But I expect you to stay, now that you have purpose in life."

"Well-" I started to respond, but Hokage Naruto was already gone.


	5. Chapter 5

In the end, I ended up doing half and half. Naruto taught me jutsu, while I still went to Taechi and my teammates later for sparring and forms.

One day, I finally worked up the nerve to ask him about the weapon that I had wasted a lot of money on.

"Hokage?" I asked Naruto.

"Yes, Kanda?" he replied.

"Can you show me how a hidden blade works?" I asked.

He cocked a brow and raised his left hand up and tilted his head, as if contemplating whether or not to give in to my request.

"It is not a toy." He pointed out with a smirk. I had to suppress rolling my eyes. Then I heard a _shink_ and quickly glanced down to his hand to see that the blade was pointed right at my chin.

_Damn, I missed it! _

"Again." I said and glanced up, meeting his amused expression and he retracted the blade. "Show me how you activate it without arousing suspicion within a crowd."

His head snapped up from his hand, his eyes narrowed, and his smirk was replaced with a frown. With the look he gave, I flinched as if he was going to hit me. I was sure that he knew what I was getting at, or that he had figured out that I got my hands on one of the blades. He was quiet as he stared down at me, at the same time it was like he was considering something… something more important than the blade.

_He's thinking about killing me._ Was my guess and took an uneasy step way from him.

And then he flicked his wrist.

The move was slow and close to leg, I almost didn't catch it. The way his wrist flicked was like he had it positioned on a table and his hand was out of the blade's way, fingers curled like a bird's talon as the blade came forth from under. His hand would fall against the blade. Realization hit me, this time in a _good_ way. There _was _a way to use the blade without destroying my hand! I was suppressing a smile and tried to cover it by licking my lips. He just revealed a way to using the blade. I wanted to laugh in his face… _it's hard to put into words. Let's just say; if I were a dog, my tail would be wagging_.

_Here I am, making dog analogues. I sound like Kiba._

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." the Hokage said. I stiffened. I recognized the dark poison green chakra emanating from the other side of the door. I clenched my teeth.

Johan strode into the room, smirking confidently.

"Hey, Hokage." He nodded. "I've finished my training. I was just waiting for Arianna to return."

I bit my lip. This creature wasn't worthy of Arianna!

At that precise moment, another figure appeared. It was Seiris, and she had entered through the window. As soon as she looked at Johan, her breath caught. Johan noticed her, and started.

"And who is this?" he asked, bowing to Seiris, kissing her hand. Seiris was flustered.

"This is Jonin Hikariwa Seiris, of Shadow Village." I ground out from between my teeth.

_Shit, man, get over yourself._ I berated myself. _If your gonna have a crush on a girl, pick ONE, not TWO. And first, make sure one of them isn't engaged, and make sure that they both aren't smitten with your archenemy!_

"Johan, you are actually just in time." Naruto spoke. "I have a mission here. It involves going to a village, and helping repress a rebellion that is happening there. A few thugs have hired a ninja, and he's killing people left and right."

"Sure thing, boss." He nodded. "Who is on my team?"

Naruto glanced at me. "How about Kanda and Seiris?"

Seiris protested. "Wait, sir, I'm not a ninja of your village! Wouldn't I put you in trouble?"

Naruto held up his hand. "Ninja Seiris of Shadow, I have need of your skill." He said in a formal tone of voice. "I will not force you to become a member of our village, and I will not force you to choose to become one against your will. But I ask you: will you become a ninja of this village?"

Seiris looked at him with tears of gratitude in her eyes.

I lay in my sleeping bag in our makeshift camp, chasing an elusive sleep. I was worried about the attention Johan was giving Seiris. It was like he… like he almost had a crush on her. _Almost_. I knew Johan well enough to know that he was a born sadist. I prayed everyday that when he and Arianna finally were married that he wouldn't hurt her.

We had set out from Konoha a week earlier. We didn't take the main road, preferring the anonymity of the woods. On the third night out, Johan and Seiris had been flirting so openly that I had shook my head in disgust and taken my dinner elsewhere, allowing them to continue out of my hearing.

I shook my head, turning in my sleeping bag. Johan was nothing but trouble. Suddenly, I heard rustling and thumping in the bushes. Looking over, I had seen that Seiris and Johan were missing.

Concealing myself with a shadow jutsu, I silently made my way through the undergrowth. When I arrived at the source of the sounds, I saw a sight that ripped me up from the inside out.

Two figures were writhing on the bare ground. Seiris and Johan were naked, lying intertwined in the fallen leaves. Johan was thrusting quickly, and from their frenzied pace they were either very energetic or close to completion.

Johan grunted and froze. Hands smacked loudly as Seiris grabbed his buttocks and urged him to keep going. He thrust twice more, and then wilted.

"Fuck!" Seiris said, pushing him off her. "I thought I was going to make it this time."

"Sorry." Johan said. I couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or genuine. Johan snuggled into her side, laying his head on her chest. Considering that he was substantially taller and bigger then Seiris, it was oddly submissive. _How long has this been going on?_ I wondered. I quickly slipped away before either of them noticed me.

_Who am I kidding? _I thought despondently, as I picked my way silently through the undergrowth, heading back towards the camp. _I should have figured: Johan is an animal, and if Seiris likes him, then she'll go along with him whatever he does._ I shook my head. _Johan always does this. He revels in taking everything away from me._

I arrived back at camp. Knowing that sleep would be impossible, I sat on the floor, sharpening my katana with a whetstone.

I heard a rustle in the bushes. Activating my chakra vision, I looked around. Johan and Seiris were just starting another round back in their clearing. Scanning, I saw the chakra of a few other people closing in on our camp. Thieves and robbers, most likely.

_ Let them come._ I thought, standing. I picked up my chain. As I stood there, anger, hate, and a cold, seething emotion I couldn't identify seeping through me, I allowed a cloak of black chakra to flow over me. I crouched, lifting the chain into ready position as my eyes became green slits. My arms grew fur on them. Claws sprouted.

_Incomplete Sage Mode, Naruto called this._ I mused. _I wonder what complete Sage Mode would look like._ Blackness leaked out of me, and the black fur sprouting from my body turned white with red stripes.

The first of the thieves stepped into range.

I swung with my chain.

One thief fell headless.

And so the killing began.

After, when Seiris and Johan returned to camp, smelling of sex and sweat, they found me seated on a stone in a field of dead bodies, covered in the fur of a white tiger, my eyes green slits. I was sharpening a kunai with my bare claw in front of the campfire.

Johan gave me a cruel smile, but I managed to restrain myself.

Seiris looked away.

_I can't believe I'm doing this._ I thought to myself, as I tied the noose around a springy flagpole. If a man walked under the noose, all I had to do was lower is slightly, and he would be choked by his own momentum. Johan had set up a similar trap elsewhere, and so had Seiris.

The leader of the rebels was said to be passing by here soon on a tour of the village. We would use the nooses to kill anyone we could before dropping down and dealing with the rest.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow leap from the flagpoles that we were perched on, and run across the floor.

On a sudden impulse, I left a shadow clone there to man the rope, and I jumped down, chasing the shadow.

"Shadow style: embrace of darkness." I whispered, flipping the hand signs.

I was covered in shadows, darkness hiding me. In my stealth jutsu, I started to walk towards the shadow. It had stopped moving, and was perched on a rooftop a block down.

Quickly, I scaled the building. The shadowy figure turned towards another figure, which had jumped up behind me.

"You my little brother's new babysitter, Seiris?" the figure asked. I froze dead at the voice. I was glad that the shadow jutsu made me invisible, now that I was in the shade.

"You know why I'm here, Sasuke." Seiris snapped, drawing two kunai. Sasuke turned, and looked at her. A cold smile formed on his face. I silently drew my short katana. Sasuke turned to look in my direction, but his eyes passed right over me, resting on another figure that jumped from an adjacent building to stand next to Sasuke.

"Johan." Sasuke smiled. "So you did make it."

"As always, brother." Johan smirked.

"How's that idiot Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

"Same as always: boring." Johan smirked. "You know, I could just kill him instead of going through all of this, pretending to be a Genin in Leaf in order to get information on the Akatsuki."

"He'd kill you." Sasuke shook his head. "I see you brought Seiris along. Have you taken her, yet?"

"Yep, several times." Johan smirked. "You know, she's the only girl that ever kept up with me. Hell, the other night she even outlasted me."

"Fuck you!" Seiris bristled.

"Is that so?" Sasuke smirked. Then he went all business. "How is the rogue?"

"Annoying." Johan sighed. "He's tapped into that demon inside him. He's more powerful then I thought."

"Interesting." Sasuke muttered. "Do you think we should take him out?"

"We don't have enough power." Johan shook his head. "Maybe _you_ do, but if he learns how to go into Sage Mode, and starts using demon chakra instead of his own to fuel his jutsus, he might even kill you."

"Really?" Sasuke's eyes lit up. "Then it seems I have some hunting to do."

"Hunting?" Johan asked.

"You said that he is using Arquis's power, though not his chakra, correct?" Sasuke clarified. "So, if _we_ get a demon sealed into us…"

"…We'll tap into it and destroy him and Konoha!" Johan's grin spread.

I quickly flipped a few hand signs, and sealed this entire scene into a luminescent ball of chakra. Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes whipped to me.

"Kill him!" He snapped. "He must not get away!"

Seiris threw her kunai. It soared through the air…

… And smacked into Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke yelled in pain and surprise.

"RUN!" she yelled.

I sprinted. I reached the place where I had hung the noose. Sasuke and Johan were still chasing me. I had an idea. When Sasuke stepped into place for the noose, my shadow clone pulled. Sasuke was hauled into the air, grasping the rope, desperately keeping it from slicing into his windpipe. Johan stopped, and tried to untie Sasuke.

I had gotten away from them

I kept running. Searching for a place to hide. Eventually, I saw an abandoned building. I darted across its roof. As I ran, I looked back. I saw two figures far behind me. They were closing fast. I was still being chased.

Under my feet I felt a sudden change in feel from concrete to wood then to nothing. Gravity then became my downfall. Literally. Before I could even feel my stomach erupt in butterflies I fell flat on my back, into a hay bin below. My breathing labored and my heart beating erratically. I took the hay bin as a blessing and used it to hide me from Sasuke and Johan.

"Did he live?" I heard Johan ask. I stopped breathing and prayed to God that they did not have inhuman hearing.

"No. He died in the fall and his corpse rose to bury himself. Of course he lived! Do you see him down there?" Said Sasuke, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I heard a scoff. "He is much faster than we gave him credit for."

"Heh. Clearly…" Sasuke chuckled. "But we'll get him."

"Which way do you think he could have gone?" Johan asked.

"If I'd known, do you think we would be having this discussion?"

"I'm going to go back to Leaf." Johan said. "This kid's family needs to become… _dealt with._ They are a little… _overprotective_, of a stray boy that wandered in one day."

"Do it." Sasuke ordered. They stopped talking, and went their ways.

I pulled myself out of the hay bin and breathed in cool, glorious air like I have been drowning (gasping for breath, more like). Holding the bin for support as I calmed down, I began to wonder over my mental health. How could I have gone from terrified for my life to Nothing to terrified for my life in less than three long, painful seconds?

_They're going for my family! _I thought with rage. I had to save them!

I climbed out of the bin, and started sprinting over rooftops.

"_Kanda…"_

I froze as I heard the voice.

"What do you want?" I said, not turning. I had had a feeling like this: I had travelled in a big circle, and the hay bin was right under where they had left Seiris.

"Please… help me…" She whispered. Then I heard a thump. I turned, and saw Seiris lying on the ground, supporting herself on her left hand. Her right hand was covering a spot on her chest. Blood leaked from that spot.

"Seiris!" I said.

"I need you…to do me a favor…" Seiris gasped. "Promise me."

"I promise." I said. I held her hand as my friend lay there, gasping.

"It is too late…for me to undo my mistakes…but you can't…let Sasuke… and Johan… win…you can't…" She gasped in pain, and I started crying.

"You can't die." I whispered. "You can't… Please…" I said, tears falling from my eyes.

"Good-bye…Kanda… I'm glad…to have met you… you're my best friend…" Seiris smiled through the pain.

Then her eyes closed, and he stopped breathing.

I lay her down gently.

"JOHAN!" I screamed.

I leaped over the rooftops, speeding at an incredibly fast rate. I never tired of the exhilaration of the chase, but this time I was at a loss as to how I was going to catch up. Johan had always been faster then me. I didn't care. I had made a promise to Seiris, and I would keep it.

Suddenly, something flew out on my right side. I sidestepped in midair, using a ball of my own chakra as a stepping stone to redirect myself. Turning mid-stride so that I was dodging backwards over the rooftops, I saw a figure approaching a high speed.

_Damn, the one I was chasing was merely a clone! _ I thought with disdain. I quickly threw a chakra shuriken, and destroyed the clone. Then I formed my chakra into a long chain, using it to grab a spire and spin around it, hurling myself at the pursuing figure. I had promised Seiris that I would stop Johan. I would do it, or die trying.

Johan saw me coming. With an arrogant smirk, he snapped his hand signs and powered up something in his hand. Johan had an affinity for almost all types of jutsus. The important exception was lightning. So I couldn't guess what Johan was doing until he let me.

"Light style! Seven blazing spears!" he shouted. He was using a Light jutsu. Seven glowing spears shot out from around him, aiming towards me.

I snapped my hand signs quickly. "Lightning style! Aura of burning thunder!" Immediately lightning started striking all around me. Because of my affinity for chakra itself, I _should _have been good with genjutsu. However, I had a curious block on my ability to manipulate chakra that was inside someone else. Hokage Naruto said that it would take time and practice, but that was a full month ago.

Johan landed on the roof I was standing on. My lightning bolts stopped striking. Johan stared into my eyes, using a genjutsu. I found myself in a dark pit, monsters crawling in from every side.

"Idiot." I muttered. Merely raising a hand, the illusion blew apart, and I was back in the real world. Johan's kunai was halfway to my throat. I dodged under the strike. I tried a palm strike, hitting him in the nose. _Should have put some chakra, not just muscle, into that._ I chided myself.

I dodged a succession of punches. But something seemed off. The blood dribbling from Johan's nose wasn't fazing him. His pain wasn't stopping him. He was on automatic.

I dropped down, on the ground, and kicked upwards. Johan dodged. I snapped a hand sign. "Dark shadow of doom!" immediately, the entire area was plunged into darkness deeper then night. However, I could see. Johan was an incandescent green. I could see everything through my chakra.

I formed my chakra into a short katana. Running forwards, I swiped at him.

Johan dodged. I ducked under his strike. Both of us could fight blindfolded. There was no real reason for this technique as of yet, but Dark Shadow of Doom, a Jutsu I had made up, would serve another purpose.

I kept my eyes on chakra vision, watching his moving green lines as he and I blocked and parried each other's blows. My chakra sword clanged off of his pair of kunais. _Why does chakra "clang"?_

Johan leapt into the air, whirling his arms, lashing out with his swords. I leaned back, his blades passing an inch away from my face. I blocked a strike aimed at my kidney, and another at my leg. Leaned back to avoid a slash aimed at my face. Johan tripped me and threw me across the roof, breaking a wall. Johan slid in a low attack and I managed to propel myself over his blades. I ran at him, and he sidestepped, ramming his elbow into the bone of my shoulder, and slashing me across my back. I turned, and he was twirling in midair, and then he kicked me in the chest, throwing me through the wall I broke, and into a courtyard. I was sliding across the smooth tiles, and I suddenly did a back flip and landed on my feet. Johan stood at the broken wall, framed by the inner room.

"Lightning style!" I yelled. "Flying electricity!"

A few beams of lightning flew from my outstretched arm, and flew towards Johan.

"Grand Fireworks Display!" he yelled. Instantly, thousands of fireballs flew towards my jutsu, intercepting and countering my lightning jutsu.

Suddenly, I lifted the Dark Shadow of Doom.

Johan blinked and faltered in the bright light. I used that opportunity to fist slam him in the gut with a chakra kunai. Johan doubled over, then grabbed my throat, and _squeezed._

I plunged the chakra blade into his side over and over. Nothing. He just kept squeezing…


	6. Chapter 6

P.O.V. = Arianna

I stood at the gates of the Leaf, watching for Johan and Kanda. It had been a week since they were supposed to be back. What was taking them so long? Johan was my childhood friend, and our marriage was arranged.

I saw Taechi and an agent of ANBU loping through the trees in the early morning light. I instantly raced to the Hokage's tower.

"Hokage!" I leaped up to the window. I could have taken the door, but this was faster. "Taechi and the ANBU you sent with him are back!"

"Are they?" Naruto appeared tired. "Good. Are the Genin and Seiris with them?"

"I… I don't know." I stuttered. I hadn't taken the time to look. Stupid me.

Another figure burst into the room. Shinji was here. He was angry about not being sent with Kanda, and was getting angrier by the day.

"Where are they?" He demanded. His question was answered by a knock on the door.

"Naruto." Taechi walked in without bothering to wait for the Hokage to say "come in." "We've found traces of them, but…"

"What's happened?" I asked. Taechi's face was drawn, haggard, and distraught.

Taechi looked at me with a pained expression. "We found Seiris. She was killed."

Naruto shook his head, sadly.

"We found traces of a battle… it was in a remote village outside of Leaf territory…" Taechi continued. "… From the massive amount of residual chakra there, Johan and Kanda battled."

"Kanda killed Johan?" I asked, horrified.

"No." Taechi shook his head. A tear traced its way down his cheek. "My student… your friend… Kanda is dead."

"But there wasn't a body! If there was you would have brought it back!" I said desperately. "How can he be dead? Besides, Johan isn't that kind of person!"

"There was a lot of blood… his black chakra residue was evident in it… while a little bit was Johan's… there was far too much blood there for anyone to have lived after losing it." Taechi looked at me. "I… I'm Sorry."

There was a stunned silence. Naruto sat there. His eye closed. He gave a great sigh.

"What about Johan?" I asked.

"IS JOHAN ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT?" Naruto roared. "That boy… that was your friend! He was my friend! He was a ninja of the Leaf! And all you can think of is that Johan!" he spat. "You make me sick!"

"It get's worse." Taechi said grimly. "I found this." He held up a kunai. "There's a chakra bound to it with a recording. I think you should see it."

Naruto took the kunai. "Chakra infusion: reveal secrets."

A ball of chakra formed. It was black. Suddenly, across its face, an image appeared.

_""Johan." Sasuke smiled. "So you did make it."_

"_As always, brother." Johan smirked._

"_How's that idiot Itachi?" Sasuke asked._

"_Same as always: boring." Johan smirked. "You know, I could just kill him instead of going through all of this, pretending to be a Genin in Leaf in order to get information on the Akatsuki."_

"_He'd kill you." Sasuke shook his head. "I see you brought Seiris along. Have you taken her, yet?"_

"_Yep, several times." Johan smirked. "You know, she's the only girl that ever kept up with me. Hell, the other night she even outlasted me."_

"_Fuck you!" Seiris bristled._

"_Is that so? Well, I'm glad that we planted those false rumors about the rebellion here, then." Sasuke smirked. Then he went all business. "How is the rogue?"_

"_Annoying." Johan sighed. "He's tapped into that demon inside him. He's more powerful then I thought."_

"_Interesting." Sasuke muttered. "Do you think we should take him out?"_

"_We don't have enough power." Johan shook his head. "Maybe you do, but if he learns how to go into Sage Mode completely, and starts using demon chakra instead of his own to fuel his jutsus, he might even kill you."_

"_Really?" Sasuke's eyes lit up. "Then it seems I have some hunting to do."_

"_Hunting?" Johan asked. _

"_You said that he is using Arquis's power, though not his chakra, correct?" Sasuke clarified. "So, if we get a demon sealed into us…"_

"…_We'll tap into it and destroy him and Konoha!" Johan's grin spread."_

The image faded.

I fled. I leaped from the roof and landed in the dark streets of the Leaf village. I walked through the darkened city, tears flowing from my eyes, mingling with the rain that was just beginning to fall, knowing that it would do no good. I started running. I could feel the rainwater as it collected on the curve of my breasts, and then dripped between them, making me feel quite cold. Activity was good: it helped my body distract itself. For once, I wished I wasn't wearing what I was: a pair of white short-shorts, black boots reaching up to my knees, a cut off black sleeveless shirt, and my dark grey and white armor on my chest. I slapped myself in the face, feeling the sting of my palm. I tripped on a loose stone, fell, and cut my knee. I stood up, letting the rust colored liquid course down, and continued running. I summoned a group of wind clones. They jumped at me. With a quick flick, I hurled my shuriken at the beings, killing them. I caught it and continued running.

_Why was…. How was… How could Johan be a traitor?_

"How… How did this happen…?" I moaned as I ran through the third district. This was the poor district of Leaf.

_Oh Kanda… if only I had been able to tell you…_

_**Two Years Later…**_

Shinji, Taechi and I were on patrol in the Fire village. We had been searching for the rebel leader Desaphith for months now. Desaphith was supposedly the second mentor of Sasuke, the leader of Shadow village. Now we thought we had found him. His companion, a ninja who for some reason had chosen a mace as his weapon (I hated Maces), stood by him. They were fleeing the burning village, running for their lives.

"Taechi, are you sure we can do this?" I asked.

"Sure." He said. "Just leave the leader to me. You two handle his companion."

"Got you." I nodded.

The leader stopped in the middle of the path. He turned, looking for something. His eyes settled on Taechi.

"If you want to fight me solo, then stop wasting time ordering your friends about and come fight me." HE growled. In his hand was a silver katana.

"Earth Style!" Taechi yelled. "Four earthly pillars!"

Immediately, a bunch of pillars sprouted at high speed from the ground. The first one slammed into Desaphith's chin, knocking him upwards. The next one served as a stepping stone for Taechi, who propelled himself up to Desaphith's level. He kicked Desaphith backwards, just in time for him to meet the third pillar. Then the fourth pillar rammed him in the back, knocking him upwards. Desaphith landed hard, grunting.

"Nice effort." He raised his katana. "Fire style: blade of hell." His chakra ran up his sword, and it was wreathed in flames.

Taechi kicked him, but was blocked. Desaphith slashed at Taechi's head, but he blocked with his kunai. He head-butted Desaphith. However, Desaphith flipped through some hand signs, and whispered something we couldn't hear.

Instantly, a fireball flew out of the sky. It slammed into Taechi, blowing him back.

"Insect net!" a voice roared. Instantly, a group of insects flew over towards Taechi. Taechi was busy blocking Desaphith's sword combos.

"Light style!" Shinji roared. "Blades of the Seraph!"

Instantly, a network of glowing swords surrounded Taechi slicing the inse**c**t storm to bits.

"Sorry to interrupt." Shinji growled at Desaphith's companion. "But your journey… ends HERE!" with the word here, he flipped his hand signs. "Chidori! One hundred birds!"

The sound of applause was heard. It was so unexpected, and so out of place, that everyone froze. Desaphith's sword lost its fire. Taechi nearly dropped his kunai. The companion released his insects. Shinji allowed his chidori to fade.

A man walked out of the shadows. He was wearing a white shirt and gloves, and his white hood covered his face in shadow. On his back was a strange sword. In his hand was a pair of glowing, black, shuriken. He hesitated at first when he saw me.

"Never thought this would happen." He muttered. He threw the shuriken. They blazed through the air. Unlike normal shuriken, when they hit Desaphith, he was torn apart instantly. The death was so gory, and so brutal that even I paused.

"Taechi, Shinji, Arianna, step back." The stranger commanded. HE approached Desaphith's companion at a walk. I and my friends got in a defensive posture.

"Who are you?" Desaphith's companion.

The stranger ignored him. "You're a waste of chakra." He muttered, kneeling at Desaphith's remains. He lifted a small ring, placing it in his pocket. Then he faced the companion.

"Where are Sasuke and Johan?" he asked.

"Like I'd ever tell you!" he spat.

"You're loss." The stranger shrugged. He raised his hand, and a ball of chakra formed there immediately.

"No…" Taechi gasped.

"Rasengan." The stranger whispered. At that point I noticed something strange about his chakra…

… He had black chakra.

"That can't be…" Shinji whispered.

The stranger's rasengan slammed into the bug-wielding companion of Desaphith. He dropped like a stone.

"… Kanda?" I whispered.

The stranger looked over his shoulder at us for a brief second. Then he flipped through a few hand signs, and faded away.

"Transportation Jutsu." Taechi breathed.

"Is it really him?" I asked.

"Black chakra is so rare that I can think of no other likely explanation." Taechi said softly.

I sat on top of the Hokage's Tower, daydreaming.

_Kanda is alive! _I dreamed. _I can't believe it! After two years, he's finally back!_

_Maybe when he returns, I can finally tell him._ I thought, holding up the flower that I had been playing with. It was a rose: courtesy of my affinities for wind and fire, I had found them growing on the top of the Hokage's tower._ Maybe he'll feel the same way that I do…_ I dreamed. _Maybe he'll say yes…_

"Having fun?" A voice said. I turned, and greeted Shinji.

"Hey Shinji." I said. "How's everything going?"

"Bad." He said. "For one, the demon is back."

"Don't call Kanda that!" I bristled.

"It's true!" he said. "He has a demon tiger inside of him. He's not human. And if he was human, then the things he did today make him a brutal monster."

"How can you say that?" I said. "He could very well have saved our lives."

"I had that man cornered." He spat. "And Taechi was doing well against our target. _You _were the only one not fighting."

"I didn't have a chance to jump in!" I protested. "And you know that he could very well have unleashed some jutsu that could have left you dead."

"My chidori would have killed him." Shinji said. Suddenly, he started flipping hand signs.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Light style!" he yelled. "Beam of radiance!"

I hurled myself to the side, avoiding the blast.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled.

"Sasuke was right." Shinji smirked. "You're faster then you look…"

He did a back flip off of the wall, and disappeared into the night.


End file.
